


house keys

by prince_sungho (fusionspeaks)



Category: 1TEAM (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Children, Eventual Romance, M/M, Single Father Sungho, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2020-02-10 10:04:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18658216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fusionspeaks/pseuds/prince_sungho
Summary: Jin Sungho is a divorcee and single father of a pair of twins, Joon Ha and Joon Seok. His entire life is dedicated to his children. A move to Seoul for new working opportunities finds him crossing paths with successful graphic designer, Lee Rubin who is five years younger. Can Sungho, who doesn't think there is any space in his life for another person, accept the bright Lee Rubin into the folds of his life?





	1. SUNGHO I

**Author's Note:**

> ++ hey it's me again!! i'm back on bs! so, basically, i started this and wrote some. i decided to post it because the jehoon fic (the way flowers bloom) will wrap up soon and i'm eager to write more!  
> ++ this is my first time writing a domestic au so i hope you enjoy it and give me encouragement via comments and kudos!  
> ++ for plot purposes, the ages have to be changed therefore note this: Sungho (30), Jinwoo (30), Rubin (25), Jehyun (24) and Junghoon (23)  
> ++ please show me and my works lots of love <3

Sungho rearranged several of the boxes piling in the living room of his new apartment unit. Though it had been four days since he moved in with his twins, he was yet to find time to organise the books and decorations on the shelves and walls. Those kind of activities really take up a lot of time, and somehow, Sungho wasn’t really in the mood for it. He had a million other things to straighten out now that he made it here safely. On a more positive side though, at least the chunkier furniture were well in place and all of Sungho’s kitchen utensils as well as pots and pans had been kept. Those were more important to him than stacks of files in one of those boxes. 

 

It had been a little after 12AM when Sungho was finally done with stowing the boxes away at a corner of the living room. Placing his hands on his hip, Sungho took in the surroundings. Three years ago, he would never have thought that he’d be able to not only raise his twins on his own successfully after his ex left him, but also to be able to afford his own apartment in Seoul. He didn’t ever, in his entire life or when he was just a confused twenty-seven year old divorcee who couldn’t survive on his own, think that he could have a LCD TV gracing the living room. A home with high quality wooden flooring with two separate bedrooms and bath. It just never occurred to him. It always felt like a dream.

 

Heck, Sungho couldn’t even consider that he would have made a good parent. He felt that he was allowed to be proud of what he had achieved so far, and at thirty years old. He had worked so hard, harder than everyone else his age to survive for himself and his kids. Sungho had to, because he wasn’t just the parent, he was also the breadwinner, the nanny, the cook - everything.

 

Somehow, Sungho found himself smiling wistfully at those thoughts. He continued to quietly take in the setting of his new home, only to be startled by one of his twin’s soft footsteps across the floor.

 

Sungho turned around to see his younger twin, Joon Seok, sleepy and in his pyjamas, standing in the hallway. “Daddy, aren’t you sleeping?”

 

“I was about to go to bed,” he answered, stepping closer to his son, “but those boxes are an eyesore in the middle of the room, so I rearranged them.”

 

Sungho saw his Joon Seok scowl in disapproval. He had his arms crossed over his chest. For someone quite young, Joon Seok nagged Sungho a lot, more so than his twin, Joon Ha. At this point, Sungho simply found the trait adorable in his son, so he just let him speak his mind.

 

“I told you to do it in the afternoon but you never listen! Then, you do it at night and don’t sleep!”

 

Joon Seok then, proceeded to punch Sungho’s sides rather playfully. He couldn’t help but to laugh a bit, making Joon Seok frown even more. His cute face now looked so dreadful.

 

“Dad, do you think this is a joke?” He pouted, glaring at him. “You should sleep! You’re going to send me to my new school tomorrow! You shouldn’t look tired.”

 

Sungho smiled at how concerned his son was for him. Some people may say it was an exaggeration but for Sungho, Jin Joon Seok and Jin Joon Ha were the only family he had left and his life revolved around work and the twins. He strived to be the best in order to support his kids in everything, providing them with anything they would ever need. There was no space in Sungho’s life for anything or anyone else. 

 

Patting his son’s head softly, Sungho crouched down to meet his eyes. He was clearly thick with sleep, but Joon Seok’s  almond-shaped eyes were wide open. He was no longer glaring at his father, Sungho noticed, registering the concern and care in his eyes. Perhaps for Joon Seok too, his dad was all he had.

 

“Joon Seok, hun, I’ll go to bed soon, okay?” Sungho held his son’s hands firmly. “Don’t worry about me so much, huh? You’re still a kid.”

 

“I’m not worried, you were just noisy with moving the boxes.” he responded instead, rolling his eyes, “You woke me up.”

 

“I’m sorry. Anyways, you should go back to sleep.”

 

Joon Seok  nodded, quirking his lips a little. Sungho rose up, ushering him back into his shared bedroom where Joon Ha was fast asleep. 

 

“Hey, Dad, you forgot something.” Joon Seok called out to him after he tucked him back into bed, just as he was about to leave the room. He motioned towards his forehead with his index finger, and Sungho understood.

 

He went back to the side of his bed, leaned down and kissed his forehead. The goodnight kiss. Sungho smiled at his son as he stroked his head gently, humming a lullaby tune he had created for the twins when they were still babies. 

 

Sungho stayed by his side until he was certain Joon Seok was fast asleep. Before leaving the bedroom, Sungho made sure to cover him with the duvet, kissing his forehead one last time. 

 

As he closed the door behind him, Sungho let out a sigh. He looked up at the clock and saw that it was past 1:30AM. He really should get some sleep because tomorrow would be a long day for him as he get used to his new life in Seoul.

 

______

 

Mornings were chaotic for Sungho, it always had been ever since the twins started going to preschool. Sungho wasn’t the most punctual when it came to waking up according to the alarm (although he would swear that he had improved over time) and Joon Ha, the girl twin, had the ill luck of getting his sleepyhead genetics. She slept like a log, it would take Sungho at least thirty minutes to drag her out of bed. Thank God for Joon Seok and his lightheadedness though, because at least Sungho had one less person to fuss about in the morning. That was just one part of the morning routine though, it didn’t include making sure his twins were showered, dressed, fed and ready to go to school.

 

It may be a new home but the disarray remained similar. Sungho woke up after snoozing his alarm five times. In complete confusion, he went over to his twins’ bedroom and shook their bodies awake.

 

“Wake up, Joon Ha, you need to go to school,” Sungho said weakly, yawning. “You wouldn’t want to be late on your first day so come on, get up.”

 

Joon Ha merely stretched her tiny body on the bed, wriggled and pulled the covers over her head. Sungho snatched them, forcing her to stir to consciousness while chanting the line “wake up, you have school”. His daughter refused to budge, making whimpering noises each time he shook her.

 

Joon Seok, on the other hand, didn’t need that much prodding as he woke up really quickly. Without missing a beat, the eight year old grabbed his towel and made for the bathroom, mumbling a ‘morning dad’ in his half-awake state which Sungho didn’t recall replying to.

 

Finally, after nearly thirty minutes of trying to wake her up, Joon Ha sat up on her bed. His sleepiness already gone by then, Sungho looked at her and said curtly, “Go get yourself ready for school. Joon Seok is dressing up in my room. The new uniform is in the wardrobe. I’ll go make us breakfast, okay?”

 

The eight year old nodded in understanding, rubbing her eyes. “Dad, what about the tie?”

 

“Oh,” Sungho snapped his fingers, “I’ll tie it for you later, after breakfast.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Sungho glanced at his daughter one last time, who had now grabbed her towel from the rack, before he made his way to the kitchen.

 

To be perfectly honest, Sungho wasn’t the best cook but he had learned to cook some basic stuff over the years. At least, his food has yet to make anyone have diarrhea. His specialty were breakfast dishes like scrambled eggs and toast. It was quite helpful, if you consider the fact that he had to make breakfast every morning and pack lunch boxes for the twins. 

 

Cracking his knuckles and stretching his arms, Sungho was ready to cook.

 

______

 

They got lost a total of five times before Sungho could wrap his head around the neighbourhood and found the twins’ school. As it turned out, their school was actually just ten minutes away yet their adventure stunt earlier had resulted in them being late by twenty minutes. So much for not using a GPS.

 

“Let’s get you registered.” Sungho said to the twins, patting their shoulders and clearing off any non-existent (or real) dust on their uniforms. The twins merely stayed put, grabbing their father’s hand, one on each side, as he walked them into the school compound. 

  
  
  


The school was bigger than the one the twins’ attended back when they lived in a medium population town. Sungho noticed how huge the school field was, the school building itself having several blocks. He wondered if they would be comfortable in such a big place. Back then, his kids knew every kid in school, from the younger ones to the older kids. But in a place like this, they probably wouldn’t be able to experience that anymore.

 

For some reason, his protective nature made him fearful of leaving his twins in this enormous school. Even if it was only a moment, Sungho sort of regretted the choice he made moving here and forcing his children to abandon the life they knew, their friends and neighbours, in exchange for such a foreign city. In exchange for a school filled with unfamiliar faces.

 

Sungho tightened his hold on his twins’ hands while they went up the stairs to the principal’s office. 

 

______

 

“Your kids are very smart. Given the grades they have, we can place them in the best class for their year.” The female principal notified them, hands clasped together on her table. She seemed quite eager to accept Joon Ha and Joon Seok into their school.

 

“Ah, is that so?” Sungho nodded. “So, now that we are done with the registration, the twins can go to their class, right?”

 

“Of course! Kids, are you excited to meet your new classmates?” The principal, Madam Bae, asked.

 

Joon Seok  cracked into a cute smile, nodding his head vigorously while Joon Ha had a wide smile and held on the straps of her backpack while glancing at Sungho. She had excitement written all over her face. Sungho could see the glint of anticipation in their eyes, the girlish hair band Joon Ha specifically chose this morning and Joon Seok’s new pair of shoes. 

 

They didn’t seem all too interested yesterday, but looking at them now, Sungho guessed they were just tired then. Clearly, his kids weren’t afraid of starting over in a new environment and if Sungho had any worries that his little ones would struggle fitting in, he felt them subsiding.

 

“Their class is 2-1, it’s on the second floor. A teacher will take them there, Mr Jin.” Madam Bae informed, leaning over her desk slightly. She offered the kids a reassuring smile. “This is a good school, you have nothing to fear.”

 

“I hope so too,” Sungho conceded before turning to look at the twins, “Do you want Dad to come with you guys to your class?”

 

Joon Ha seemed to give his question a thought for several seconds before answering. “No, it’s fine! I think we’ll just go with the teacher.”

 

“You’ll be fine, will you?” Sungho reiterated, his tone glazed with concern.

 

“Dad, we’re big kids now!” Joon Seok exclaimed, giggling. “We’ll be alright! I’ll take care of Joon Ha. Just go to work.”

 

The twins  sprang up from the chair they were sitting on and made to leave the principal’s office. A young female teacher who had been waiting outside the door came up to them, seemingly asking where their class was. That was the last thing Sungho saw before the door closed.

 

“You three seem very close.” Sungho heard Madam Bae remarked. He shifted his attention towards her, giving a polite smile as he nodded in agreement. 

 

“Yes, we are. I’ve been taking care of them on my own for a long time, I’m not used to leaving them on their own.” He scratched the back of his head.

 

“I think that’s natural, for a single father. But they’re right to refuse your offer to walk them there, Mr Jin. It’s just an advice, but they need to be independent, and facing things like starting over at a new school by themselves is necessary. Let them go, and they will be okay.”

 

“Well,” Sungho’s lips inched upward into another courteous smile, “thank you for your kind words. I’ll get going, then.”

 

Madam Bae simply stood up out of respect and Sungho bowed before he left the office. Sungho knew that he should probably calm down his nerves, which had been building since last night, but he couldn’t help himself from making a cursory glance of the school corridor. Deep inside, he was still debating if he should just pass by his children’s class and check if they were alright or just leave the school and get over to his new workplace. 

 

In the end, Sungho decided that he’d trust the twins. He knew better than anyone that if anything, the kids had inherited his courage. They will be okay. They were growing up, and this would be a part of it. Sometimes, they would have to face things on their own, their own personal battles and Sungho would need to trust in them. 

 

Now, Sungho needed to get to his new office soon. He checked his wristwatch, making a mental note that he still had half an hour before he was required to be present at the office. Being late on one’s first day was a huge no in anybody’s career, so Sungho could only hope that his GPS would work fine (yes, he decided to enlist its help this time around) and he’d make it to work in one piece. 

 

_______

 

Sungho found his new office located near Yeouido without much hassle, thanks to the GPS and map on his smartphone. This was the first time he ever needed something like that in his life. Seoul really was humongous. It was nothing compared to a city like Wonju. Wonju wasn’t too small, but it wasn’t a metropolis either. Sungho never got lost, but he could perhaps attribute that to the fact that he practically grew up there all his life before this big move.

 

Sungho looked up to see the towering glass skyscraper where his office was situated. He couldn’t believe it. He was actually going to work in this type of building. He checked his wristwatch to make sure he was just in time for work. As much as he was aware of the effort he had put in to be here today and that it was his perseverance paying off, it still seemed like a dream to him. His entire life had been difficult, like a series of tests, and so things like actually living out the life he saw himself in when he was eighteen felt too surreal.

 

Nonetheless, Sungho adjusted his tie, careful to dust off his coat. Taking in a deep breath, he calmly walked towards the rotating door of the financial building, his laptop neatly tucked into his work backpack. He probably looked like a fool but Sungho was most definitely smiling with pride as he crossed the square to his office building. He walked on, perhaps a little too unaware of his surroundings, so much as he did not notice another man walking in his direction.

  
Sungho found himself crashing into the other male, tumbling on top of him, and the other man’s items falling to his side. The impact of the collision was such that Sungho felt his forehead hit the other person’s and a instant pang of pain coursed through his body. Reflexively, Sungho let a yell escape his lips, “Ouch!”

 

“Fuck, my drawing tablet!” The other person yelped, trying to wriggle himself from underneath Sungho as soon as he realised his grasp on his item. Sungho, who was still atop him, hadn’t even been able to fully register the compromising position he was in right now. 

 

He was still feeling cloudy, the impact of the minor collision hadn’t entirely worn off but Sungho could feel the man beneath him trying to move. He quickly realised how awkward their situations were, whatnot with the few people who had started to give them weird stares. Sungho immediately got himself to stand up to full height again, his panic instincts kicking in as he finally got a good look at the younger man who had been crushed beneath him just moment earlier. He was such a slender kid, and Sungho just fell on top of him, with the weight of his laptop too.

 

“Are you okay?” Sungho rushed forward, offering his hand to help the young man stand up. The man was clearly hissing in pain, one hand holding on to the side of his hip while his other hand reaching out for Sungho’s outstretched hand. Sungho firmly grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him up, careful not to be to rough since he looked like he was in pain.

 

The younger man who wore an anime shirt underneath his varsity jacket was still writhing in pain, given the less than pleasant countenance he was donning. But he didn’t seem to be mad at Sungho. Still, Sungho reached out to touch the young man’s shoulder to check on him, trying to meet the other person’s eyes - it made him feel like such a dad. This was exactly how reacted to his kids scraping their knees on the ground or cutting themselves on something. 

 

“I’m alright, don’t worry,” the young man said back, his lips trying its best to carve a sweet smile. “Sorry I bumped into you, I was drawing on my tablet.”

 

“Ah, your tablet!” Sungho interjected, looking over the man’s shoulder to see the item lying face down on the ground. He didn’t wait any longer to retrieve it from there and handed it over to the man. He could see that the tablet’s side was somewhat cracked, and he immediately felt sorry. But a quick glance on his wristwatch indicated to Sungho that he didn’t really have time to spare since he needed to clock in before 9AM.

 

“I really am sorry that I wasn’t paying attention. I really would like to make it up to you, especially seeing your tablet got ‘hurt’ as well.” Sungho relayed honestly, pursing his lips together and offering a sympathetic look.

 

The younger man, who Sungho guessed was an artist or designer, quirked his lips to the side. He took the tablet from Sungho, examining the cracked side. He didn’t say anything but Sungho wasn’t stupid. He knew that something like that costs a lot , and for a young person who worked in designing or art, that tablet held their income. Admittedly, it made Sungho felt ten times worse about running into this guy of all people here.

 

“I need to go to my office though, so I can’t really hang around. So here, how about this,” Sungho suggested all of a sudden, reaching into his inner coat pocket for a memo pad and pen he had the habit of carrying around, “tell me how much it costs to fix your tablet or the cost of a new one. I’ll pay it for you. Here - take my number.”

 

“Is your name Mr Jin Sungho?” The young man asked upon grabbing the memo pad handed to him. He peered over to look at Sungho who gave a simple nod. “I’m Lee Rubin. Thank you for being really considerate, Mr Jin.”

 

“It’s a non-issue,” Sungho smiled warmly, raising his hand to indicate so. “Anyways, I have to get going. Please do give me a call, yeah?”

 

Lee Rubin’s expression was a clear sign to Sungho that the younger one was happy at the offer. He was smiling, brighter than before. Sungho wasn’t sure what else there was to say, so he gave a slight bow which Rubin reciprocated, followed by a, “Thank you so much, mister!”

 

Sungho walked off in the direction of the rotating doors, this time making sure to  _ actually _ mind who or what he was walking into. Once he was in the building, Sungho didn’t waste any time to get to the lifts, looking outside the glass wall to see Lee Rubin standing at the courtyard of the building with another young man. That gave Sungho flashbacks of his own younger days as he caught himself smiling wistfully. 

 

Those days were long gone now though. Sungho looked ahead once again once he heard the ‘ping’ of the lift. There was a crowd rushing out before he could get into the lift with a few others. Everyone in the lift were white collar workers like him, each getting off at different floors, with their briefcases and work backpacks, eyes glued to their phones or the electronic board with the floor numbers. Everyone was busy, and Sungho felt lonely. 

 

So this was city life. Well, he had to get used to it, ‘cause this would be the life he will be leading from here on out. After all, no matter how lonely it got for Sungho at work, coming home to his kids always made him happy. They were Sungho’s joy, and the only reason he lived.


	2. RUBIN I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ++ I'm probably alternating the POVs based on the suitability of flow and plot. I hope you don't mind this writing style! Kudos and comments if you enjoyed reading!

“Lee Rubin!” Jehyun called out his name, rushing over as soon as the person who ran into him left the area. Rubin turned around to see his best friend slash co-worker coming up to him while taking a furtive glance at the man in suit. Jehyun looked somewhat confused that Rubin had allowed the other man to simply walk off, not knowing about what had transpired earlier.

 

“Didn’t he ran into you?” Jehyun asked, once again glancing at the man who now entered the building, blatantly pointing at the man with his index finger.

 

Rubin grabbed Jehyun’s hand, stopping him from pointing at Jin Sungho who was now in the building. “Yes, but it wasn’t his fault. I was drawing on the tablet and didn’t see where I was walking.”

 

Jehyun made a ‘pft’ sound, and immediately, Rubin could tell that he was about to get a taste of Moon Jehyun’s nagging. For someone who claimed to be chill, Jehyun nagged and fussed over things a bit too much. He rolled his eyes the moment he saw Jehyun raise his index finger to begin his ‘lecture’.

 

“Don’t you eye-roll me, Lee Rubin, I told you didn’t I? Look where you’re going!” Jehyun started, wagging his index finger in Rubin’s face, before making a quick grab of the tablet in Rubin’s hold. Damn, his speed.

 

“Look what happened to your tablet!”

 

“The guy who ran into me said he’ll pay for the repair, Jehyun.” Rubin retorted, yanking the tablet back to himself. “That’s why I didn’t take a swing at him.”

 

It was then that he saw Moon Jehyun’s face seem to lighten up. It appeared to genuinely surprise him that someone had offered such a thing to Rubin. “He did? Well, that’s nice of him, I thought kindness died an early death.”

 

“Whatever, I’ll get the tablet checked soon. Anyways, we’ve got work to do at your house.” Rubin brushed him off, holding Jehyun’s arm and marching the both of them away from the building. “It’s work time, kid, we’ve landed ourselves an assignment!”

  
  
He would have none of Jehyun’s nagging anymore, and they  _ did  _ have a lot to do. They came by the building to discuss designing a logo for a new line of products by a company. Lee Rubin’s reputation as one of the best graphic designers meant he worked on a strict deadline to deliver the best results in the most efficient time possible. Disappointing his client was not a part of Lee Rubin and (hopefully) Moon Jehyun’s dictionary as well. They were in a business where only the best could continue to make money, and as freelancers, they needed the good rep more than anyone else.

 

_______

 

Rubin loved drawing. It was his love for drawing and designing that led him to consider a job in the field. He went to university to study medicine, like his parents wanted but it wasn’t where his heart was. Eventually, he dropped out, causing his parents’ dismay and made a living off being a logo designer for brands. He had no formal education, so he was not accepted in any big designing firms but Rubin was anything but a quitter. He worked incredibly hard, all on his own, for the past four years to be where he was today.

 

He continued to design the new logo for a line of new yoghurt drinks that was slated to hit the stores this October. He had until the end of May to design a logo that encompassed what the company wanted the brand to represent. The state of his tablet was such that Rubin decided that he would use Jehyun’s instead. After all, Jehyun had a few tablet lying around - he had a weird habit of collecting drawing tablets every time he saw a new model.

 

“Jehyun, what do you think of this?” Rubin looked up from his drawing tablet, moving on the swivel chair to get by Jehyun’s side. He had been struggling to design an amazing logo today, for some reason. Nothing panned out quite the way he wanted them to. Nonetheless, he decided to show it to Jehyun, who was also working on the logo design. They’ve decided to partner up for this project, as they did a few times before. 

 

His co-worker raised his gaze from his own drawing tablet, taking the tablet from Rubin to inspect the design.

 

“Mhm,” Jehyun quirked his lips to the side, the tip of his stylus resting on his chin, “I’m not sure about this. It seems ordinary.”

 

“They’re selling yoghurt drinks, how creative can I get?”

  
  
Jehyun raised his brows at Rubin upon hearing his words. That was his friend’s way of saying ‘well, that’s not the point’. Rubin admitted that Jehyun was right; whether or not the product was ordinary wasn’t the point. The point was that he was supposed to make the best logo possible for his client, even if he felt that their description of the products were rather boring. Rubin sighed, grabbing the drawing tablet from Jehyun.

 

He took a careful look at the design he managed to create - splashing yoghurt and some fruits with the product’s name written in a playful cursive font. It really did look boring and lame. It wasn’t attractive and consumers wouldn’t entirely be attracted to pick it up off a shelf if they were to see it. However, he couldn’t help the fact that though he had be racking his brains for the past two hours, he still couldn’t think of something original or creative for the product.

 

“I’ll give it to you, you know,” Jehyun started, rushing over to him on his own swivel chair, “The company’s product really isn’t all that and the taste? Awful. I probably won’t buy it too. But we really gotta think of something cool.”

 

“Well, show me what you got then,” Rubin retorted, half-pouting. He saw Jehyun’s lips form a smile as his friend handed over his own drawing tablet.

 

Jehyun was worse than him. He didn’t even try designing the product’s logo - he drew chibi versions of Pokemons. Rubin just started cackling upon seeing those cute Charmanders, Mewtwos and Bulbasaurs on the tablet. “What the fuck, Jehyun? You seemed so focused and you were doing  _ this? _ ”

 

Jehyun followed suit, letting out a laugh while nodding his head. “Sorry, I couldn’t think either, but hey, at least those are cute and could give you a good laugh.”

 

His friend took back the tablet from Rubin’s grasp and went over to his own work table. “Time to be serious now, though. We have four weeks to design this, and I know it seems long but if we keep wasting time, we’re gonna end up fucked.”

 

Rubin nodded, humming an almost inaudible ‘yes’. He stared back at the tablet, before grabbing the product’s description from a file in his bag, reading through the image the company was going for with the new product. There had to be something there that would set off creative sparks in his head.

  
Rubin was occupied with reading through the file, trying to match and express those ideas into visual on the tablet, that he wasn’t aware of the passing time. It was always like that when he found himself focusing hard on the assignment at hand. He supposed a long time did pass, as he was only roused back to reality when he heard the door to Jehyun’s apartment open with the sound of a ‘click’.

 

He looked over his shoulder to see Jehyun’s long-time boyfriend, Lee Junghoon, walking into the apartment with a briefcase in one hand and still dressed in his office attire. Rubin and Junghoon didn’t really get along well, mostly because Junghoon wasn’t a fan of Rubin staying over at Jehyun’s place, which happened more often than not. It didn’t take long for Rubin to see the annoyance registering in Junghoon’s eyes.

 

“You again,” Junghoon muttered in a low voice, though Rubin could still hear him clear as day. 

 

Junghoon threw his briefcase over on the sofa before throwing himself on it. The younger man closed his eyes momentarily. Rubin just realised he didn’t see Jehyun, and stood up from his seat, taking a look at his surroundings. 

 

“Jehyun probably went to the convenience store,” Junghoon stated almost straightforwardly with a less than friendly tone. “He’ll be back.”

 

“Oh,” Rubin responded, finding himself in an awkward situation. He always didn’t know what to do when left alone with Junghoon, so he simply stuck his hands into the pocket of his jeans, trying his best not to seem off as he just stood there at the working space which also doubled as the living room.

 

“Are you staying the night at our place again?” Junghoon asked him without missing a beat, giving him an icy glare from the other side of the room. 

 

Rubin wanted to say ‘yes’, because he would prefer to work side by side with Jehyun. But recalling the fact that he had crashed at the couple’s place for three days in a row already, he wondered if that was the answer Junghoon wanted to hear. Probably not.

 

Rubin shook his head, forcing a friendly smile. “No, I’ll go back to my place tonight.”

 

Junghoon gave a small nod, straightening himself up on the sofa.”Good, so at least Jehyun could relax a bit...he’s worked a lot, don’t you think?”

 

“Yeah, I know he does. I guess he could use a break, because we still have time for the new project.”

 

“Yeah,” Junghoon replied, leaning back into the sofa. Then, a heavy, awkward interval of silence just hung over them. Rubin suddenly didn’t know what to do with himself, as he nervously tapped his foot while staying rooted where he was.

 

It seemed that silent interval only ended when Jehyun bursted through the apartment’s door, noisy as hell. He came in with a plastic bag full of snacks and energy drinks, placing them on the coffee table. Rubin felt as though he had been holding his breath until he saw Jehyun came into the apartment.

 

“Babe, you’re home!” He said gleefully upon seeing Junghoon, naturally sitting down next to his boyfriend. Rubin saw Junghoon’s own emotionless face morphed into excitement as he smiled widely when he saw Jehyun. Again, Rubin found himself standing around like an extra, just watching as Junghoon clung to his friend closely and Jehyun kissing his boyfriend’s forehead affectionately.

 

Deciding that he didn’t want to stay around any longer, Rubin cleared his throat loudly. “I guess I’ll get going today.”

 

“Oh no,” Jehyun raised his hand, shaking his head though Rubin could see Junghoon looking somewhat annoyed, “we have work to do! And your tablet is broken!”

 

“It’s okay,” Rubin smiled, “we’ve got a few more weeks. Just take the night off. We couldn’t really think of anything anyways.”

 

Jehyun seemed to relent upon hearing those words. He nodded in agreement. “See you in a few days then?”

 

“Yeah, and I need to get my tablet fixed anyways.” He reminded Jehyun, and saw his best friend giving him an approving look. 

  
Rubin came to the couple’s place so often, he didn’t need anyone seeing him off. Rubin simply packed his bags, took the tablet he used to draw earlier and said a quick goodbye. He left the lovely couple to their own devices as he walked out of the apartment.

 

Remembering that he hadn’t gone back to his own place in days, Rubin did a mental check of the items that he might need to buy before getting back. His snacks, eggs, butter, energy drinks - he was running low on them when he left his apartment. Ever since he lived alone and shunned by his parents, Rubin had to take care of himself on his own but despite the years that went by, he could never fully get used to cleaning, cooking and living alone.

 

Lee Rubin wasn’t a lonely creature, he was made to be surrounded by people. It always felt too much to be alone, and maybe that's why he always crashed at Jehyun’s. But Jehyun had a life of his own now, and Rubin was just a decoration in that life. So, in the end, he had to retreat back to his solitary life, in his own place. Rubin sighed as he got off at the subway station near his apartment, alone.

 

_______

 

As much as he needed the things he bought at the grocery shop nearby, Rubin hated carrying all the heavy stuff back to his apartment. Having to hold them all, get on the lift and then reach his own unit - it all felt tedious and awfully long. Still, he had to do ‘em so Rubin didn’t say anything nor make a face as he carried the items with him on the lift.

 

The electronic board in the lift indicated the fifth floor and Rubin readied himself to walk out. He made his way quietly across the corridor, past a few other units of the low density complex. Rubin placed the paper bags on the floor as he punched in the password to open his apartment door. He couldn’t help but to notice that there was a rose in a flower pot placed on the small wall gap between his unit and the one next door.

 

Perplexed, Rubin wondered if the flower pot had always been there. Picking up his groceries, he mumbled to himself, “Did we have a flower pot here?”

 

Rubin simply shrugged, opening his apartment’s door wider, ready to settle himself in the mess of a house he left for a little too long when he heard the door to the next unit open. Funny, he thought, since the unit was empty the day he left his apartment. He could hear the voices of children, a boy and a girl, calling after their dad.

  
  
“Dad, come out faster! We want to eat pizza!” A boyish voice said, his tone high pitched. Rubin found himself smiling at the interaction. He was halfway in by now, hand on his door handle, ready to click it close when he turned around by chance to see a girl - probably the one from next door - waving at him. He simply gave the little girl his best grin until he saw a man coming up to the girl, holding her hand.

 

“Joon Ha, come, let’s go - where’s Joon Seok?” The man asked, looking around for his son.

 

He was wearing much more casual clothes, and his hair was not as neat as it was this morning but Rubin didn’t think he would mistake this person for someone else. The person who just walked out of the unit next to him, with  _ two kids _ was the same guy whom he bumped into this morning. Holy shit, was this guy the one the real estate agent he saw a few days back said was moving in. Rubin felt himself freeze, rooted at his spot, one feet keeping the door open. The girl - Joon Ha - still smiled at him, and it was only then did Jin Sungho shifted his attention from his daughter, to Lee Rubin.

 

“Oh,” Sungho pointed at him, smiling, a flash of recognition in his demeanour, “didn’t we meet each other this morning? Aren’t you...the boy with the drawing tablet? Lee Rubin?”

 

Rubin simply stared, dumbfounded. Hell, he probably stuttered some, finding the entire predicament unexpected. Of all places in Seoul, he ran into someone...who was also his neighbour? Was this some K-drama shit?

 

“Y-yeah, I think we did. In Yeouido”

 

“I thought so, anyways, nice to see you again. I would never have thought we could have been neighbours!” Sungho started, his tone gleeful - perhaps a little too much for Rubin’s liking. He saw then the agitated children were now pulling both of Sungho’s hands, dragging him to in the lift’s direction. His neighbour bowed his heard courteously at Rubin, taking his leave and said, “Please don’t forget about the tablet, and I’ll see you around! The kids can’t wait, sorry we can’t talk!”

  
As soon as the father and children left, Rubin slammed his own unit’s door shut and leaned onto his door. He couldn’t believe the strange twist of fate that brought the same person to his very doorstep. Shaking his head, Rubin blinked his eyes a few times. Jin Sungho didn’t seem too old, although he was definitely older than Rubin but he had two kids? Where was his wife? 

 

“Shit, why do you fucking bother?” Rubin answered himself out loud. 

 

Whatever, he thought. At least, if the guy indeed stayed next door, he could easily fix the entire tablet issue. He could claim his money just next door, no need for so much phone calls and arrangements. Silver lining, huh?

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. SUNGHO II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ++ This fic might be a bit of a slow burn, so please be patient okay :D  
> ++ This is still the beginning, but action should pick up soon!

The possibility of a coincidence in a metropolis was not high. You weren’t likely to see the same stranger every single day unless you happened to live in the same area, work at the same place or take similar routes home. Hence, the likeliness that you were to bump into someone who turned out to be your neighbour was even lower. Somehow, that one in a million - maybe billion - coincidence happened to Sungho.

 

When he walked out of his apartment to catch up with the twins, he couldn’t see Joon Seok but saw Joon Ha waving at someone. He didn’t need to split his head to know that his lovely, cheerful daughter was greeting the next door neighbour. Sungho took notice of the half-opened door, a feet sticking out by the door. He wasn’t the least bit concerned about Joon Ha who was the least of hyper of the twins. So Sungho simply went over to Joon Ha to take her hand and lead the way.

 

Joon Ha didn’t bother to give her father even a fraction of her attention when he came up to her, saying, “Joon Ha, come, let’s go - where’s Joon Seok?”

 

Sungho craned his neck trying to spot his mischievous little boy, his trained ‘Dad’s Eyes’ spotting the tiny body at the end of the corridor, just near the lift. He let out an almost tired sigh. Joon Seok had always been the most active of the twins, and so the difficult one to deal with at times. Staying put was out of the young kid’s comprehension.

 

Joon Ha turned to look up at him, saying in her tiny, barely audible voice, “Dad, it’s our neighbour. Say hi!”

 

It was only then did Sungho remember that his neighbour was still hanging around by their unit’s front door. He didn’t wait to shift his attention to greet his neighbour when Sungho found himself caught by surprise. Just as well, he could see the other person’s eyes stretch wider in disbelief, as if he was asking himself if this was actually happening. Clearly it was. 

 

Sungho totally  _ did not _ expect to see the same face he saw this morning at his own apartment complex. Though he seemed a bit more tired rather than enthusiastic, carrying groceries in his hands, Sungho was quite certain this person was the same man he accidentally bumped into earlier this morning by his office building’s courtyard. The drawing tablet boy. What was his name again?

 

Ah, yes,  _ Lee Rubin _ .

 

“Oh,” Sungho blurted out, seemingly straightening his posture and offering his kindest smile, “didn’t we meet each other this morning? Aren’t you the boy with the drawing tablet? Lee Rubin?”

 

Sungho wasn’t sure if his attempts to be friendly were not ‘friendly enough’ or that Rubin was still trying to process what was happening in his head. It was as though they had this pressing, awkward silence for quite some time in which Sungho was just standing there smiling while Rubin was just staring back at him. After a few moments, Rubin came around and replied.

 

“Y-yeah, I think we did. In Yeouido.” The younger man stuttered out. Sungho pressed his lips together, nodding slightly upon having his suspicions confirmed. Still, it made him feel out of place that Rubin looked to be shocked to see his face.

 

“I thought so, anyways, it’s nice to see you again. I never would have thought that we would be neighbours!” Sungho started, noticing that he perhaps sounded too eager. He could see that Rubin was also surprised at his tone. Nonetheless, he did not apologise for it.

 

From his peripheral, Sungho could see Joon Seok running towards him from the end of the corridor. His son probably did not like waiting any longer, since he promised to take them out for pizza with their Uncle Jinu two days ago. Joon Seok dashed towards him, and grabbed his hand.

 

“Dad, let’s go! Uncle Jinu is waiting!” Joon Seok yanked his right hand, followed by Joon Ha who followed suit by taking hold of his other hand. The force of the twins was so strong, Sungho felt his feet move forward, going along with them dragging him.

 

Rubin was still by the door frame and though the air was just awkward, Sungho decided that he could at least say goodbye before going off with his kids. So he managed to say, “Please don’t forget about the tablet, and I’ll see you around! The kids can’t wait, sorry we can’t talk!”

 

Sungho courteously tipped his head a little before consenting to his kids dragging him to the lift. As they walked down the corridor to the lift, he could hear the door to unit 506 slam itself shut. Sungho wasn’t sure how he felt about having Rubin as a neighbour, but to see a familiar face although the person was still a stranger, was a relief for him. At least, there was someone other than Jinwoo that Sungho could try being friends with now that he started living in Seoul.

 

“Dad, is Uncle Jinu paying for the pizza?” Joon Ha asked, as soon as they hopped into the lift, taking him out of his train of thoughts. Sungho caressed his daughter’s hair and nodded.

 

“Yeah, and he’ll pick us up. I think he’s waiting for us downstairs.”

 

“See, I told you!” Joon Seok interjected, crossing his arms with a pout, “you took to long!! Poor Uncle Jinu waiting for us.”

 

Sungho could only break into a smile at his son’s attitude. He mumbled a ‘yes, you’re right, Joon Seok’ while patting his son’s head. Although the twins were just eight years old, he could already imagine what kind of father Joon Seok would be and how Joon Ha would make a calm mother if she had kids of her own someday. 

 

It would be many more years, but even right then, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking that he hoped he lived long enough to see his children become parents too. Sungho smiled at himself upon having the thought cross his mind. 

 

_______

 

The children were more than happy to be able to eat the two large beef pepperoni pizzas that Jinwoo ordered for them. Sungho wasn’t sure about such a huge portion for two small kids but Jinwoo insisted on buying for them, so he relented. He mused that if there were leftovers, he could just pack them for his midnight snack. The twins sat side by side while Sungho settled on the seat next to Jinwoo at the pizza joint.

 

He could see the kids couldn’t care less about the two men as they ate their pizza. Sungho turned his head to glance at Jinwoo whose gaze was fixated on his children, his expression tender. Jinwoo had always liked taking care of the kids whenever he could, like a babysitter of sorts, although such opportunities became lesser when he left Wonju for Seoul several years back. It must make him feel good to be able to do it again. Actually, even Sungho felt much better to be able to meet his childhood friend in this way again, like the good old days.

 

“Reminds me of when we used to take them out at Mrs Lee’s place in Wonju,” Sungho spoke first, nudging his friend’s side, taking the both of them back to their younger days. 

  
  
Though he was only turning thirty this year, Sungho couldn’t help thinking that he felt much older inside. Perhaps it was the experiences he had in life that made him feel as though he was mentally not at the same place as most of his peers, as he was of the opinion that he was much wiser. It was something he had to develop due to his hasty decision to get married at an early age and having kids at a point in life when others were still enjoying their youth.

 

Jinwoo nodded, followed by a laugh. Jinwoo had always been a cheery person who was easy to like. “You’re right...I miss doing this and meeting you. I missed the twins a lot but can’t go back to Wonju often. I’m glad we’ll be able to do this ‘family gathering’ more now.”

 

His friend glanced at him, his eyes disappearing in the folds of his skin when he beamed brightly. Lee Jinwoo might carry himself in a more respectful, mature manner nowadays with the slick black suit, his tie and the parting perm hairstyle, but Sungho could still recall clearly the days when Jinwoo would wear bright coloured clothes - yellow shirt and red pants, sporting vibrant hair colours such as red and orange. He stood out so much, everyone knew it was Jinwoo from a kilometer away from sight.

 

“You traded being our neighbourhood’s ‘traffic light’ to looking like Gong Yoo in Goblin.” Sungho teased, taking a sip of the plain water in front of him.

 

His best friend let out a boisterous laugh, which made the two kids pause while eating as they look over at their Uncle Jinu. The handsome man covered his mouth as he laughed, his mind must be racing through his embarrassing youth.

 

“Ah, kids, sorry that made you stop eating, go on,” Jinwoo managed to choke out before he fixed his attention back to Sungho, a smile etched on his lips. “Yah, don’t remind me! Why did everyone let me go out looking like that? It was awful!”

 

“Oh come on, you know you liked going out looking like a clown,” he replied the banter good naturedly and watched as Jinwoo rolled his eyes.

 

Joon Seok, being a busybody, eavesdropped on them. “Was Uncle Jinu a clown?”

 

  
Jinwoo turned to look at Joon Seok so quick, Sungho thought he was going to snap his neck. His best friend’s expression was clearly a mix of mortification and amusement. Jinwoo simply open and closed his mouth, as if unsure of what to answer to Joon Seok who continued to stare him down.

 

It was right then that Sungho interjected, jesting, “Yes, Uncle Jinu did a part time job as a clown.”

 

“Really? Show us a gag!” Joon Ha suddenly interrupted, putting down her slice of pizza.

 

Jinwoo gave Sungho a feigned icy glare for the situation he’d just created for Jinwoo, before giving the kids his attention once again. Jinwoo might not be a gag man in actuality, but Sungho knew his friend loved the kids just as much as Sungho himself did. So he simply watched as Jinwoo told the kids he’ll show them a gag the next time they meet because he didn’t have the ‘items’ for his gag.

 

Sungho simply snickered at the sight.

_______

 

Jinwoo sent them back to their apartment, but Sungho wanted time to talk to his friend, just the two of them. Upon arriving at their apartment, he invited Jinwoo to come up so they could talk after he put the kids to sleep. 

 

“I’ll just watch TV,” Jinwoo said, as though to notify Sungho while he settled down on the sofa. Sungho didn’t even get the chance to reply properly as he was carrying Joon Ha to bed. She had fallen asleep in the car. Joon Seok was still awake but he was obviously getting sleepy, using his hands to rub his eyes. 

 

“Come, let’s go to your room,” Sungho ushered Joon Seok with one hand, guiding the sleepy boy into his shared bedroom. 

 

Sungho would feel bad about waking Joon Ha up to ask her to change into a pyjamas, so he decided to let her sleep in her dress. But Joon Seok was yet to fall asleep, so he quickly took out the boy’s pyjamas from the wardrobe.

 

“Joon Seok, son.” He called out, holding his son’s hand while the boy sat on his bed. “Get changed before you go to sleep. Just put your clothes on the floor, I’ll clean up later.”

 

“Can’t I just go to sleep in this?” 

 

“No, you’re wearing jeans! It’s uncomfortable, get changed.” Sungho said, meeting his son’s eyes. The child was too sleepy, but he didn’t want his son going to bed like that when he could still get changed.

 

“Please do it. Then, you can sleep, okay?” Sungho tried to persuade the sleepy Joon Seok.

 

He saw Joon Seok pouting, probably ready to argue more - the boy argued a lot for someone so small - but he digressed. Joon Seok took the green pyjamas Sungho handed to him and went to the bathroom to get dressed.

 

Relieved, Sungho stepped out of the children’s bedroom. He made it back to the living room to see Jinwoo reclining on the sofa, switching through various channels on TV. His friend sensed Sungho’s presence and immediately sat up again. Sungho smiled, before moving over to sit down next to Jinwoo.

 

“Wow, you’re a real dad,” Jinwoo complimented, patting his thighs, “you’re getting better at fatherhood, I see. Putting your kids to sleep, sending them to school.”

 

Sungho softly reached out to settle his hand on Jinwoo’s shoulder, squeezing it. “I learned a lot from you, and you aren’t even a father yet. Thank you...you’re always there for me, from the beginning until now.”

 

“Don’t mention it. We’ve always been close. You were impatient because you were young but look at you now. You’re much better at everything.”

 

“Jinwoo...thank you, for helping me get a job here and with the same company as you.” Sungho smiled at his friend sincerely. He had been wanting to say those words but haven’t had a proper chance until now.

 

He saw Jinwoo’s countenance displaying a look that seemed to mean ‘oh, it’s no bother’, yet his best friend still gave him a reassuring nod. Jinwoo had always been someone who didn’t take compliments and thanks well, but he still tried his best to seem like he could respond to such things well.

 

“It’s not a lot, and you deserve it. The kids deserve it. You’re all on your own now since Hyejin left, Sungho. You’ll need a sustainable job like this one, better opportunities.”

 

At the mention of his ex wife’s name, Sungho flinched. He didn’t like to think of her. She was someone he would rather not recall at all. He did love her, but they were, evidently, not on the same page about that, and their divorce was a messy affair. Hyejin was someone who taught Sungho what love was, but she was also the same person who taught him that love could also be taken back from someone. From Sungho.

 

He let out a tired sigh, bobbing his head to agree with what Jinwoo just said. He did have a hard time after all. Jinwoo then saw that it was  a sign he could continue and spoke again.

 

“I know you don’t like to hear about her...but I met Ilho from our high school recently. I heard Hyejin remarried a foreign man and moved abroad.”

 

“I don’t care.” Sungho cut him off immediately. He glance over at Jinwoo, his face must have looked grumpy. “She can do whatever she wants. She stopped being important to our lives the day she left us.”

 

“I know, I just th-”

 

“Please, don’t talk about her. Let’s just talk about other things, Jinwoo.”

 

Sungho eyed Jinwoo from the corner of his eyes. He saw Jinwoo pressing his lips together tightly, his eyes lowered. But his friend got the memo, as his lips inched upwards when he raised his head to meet Sungho’s eyes again.

 

“Okay...let bygones be bygones, huh?” Jinwoo said, pursing his lips while reaching over for the remote. “Let’s watch football, I heard there’s an EPL game tonight.”

 

“Oh, who?”

 

“Liverpool vs Leicester. Wanna watch together, like back then?”

 

“Of course, I’ll get some snacks from the kitchen.” Sungho agreed, rising from the sofa to prepare refreshments for the both of them.

 

It had been ages since Sungho last had a friend over. It felt like a lifetime ago since he got to see with Jinwoo, eating dried squids and drinking beer while watching a football match on TV. To be able to do that once again that night made him feel young again. It made Sungho feel like he was just an average thirty year old man who needed unwinding with a friend after an exhausting day at work, not a father of two who had to prepare the uniforms for his kids and pack their lunches.

 

Sometimes, just sometimes, Sungho wanted to be young again.


	4. RUBIN II

Rubin woke up with a start, the piercing sound of his alarm rousing him to wakefulness. He had the curtains closed, not even a lamp turned on in his bedroom so when he opened his eyes, raising his head from his pillow, Rubin saw nothing but a pitch black. The solitary source of light, as his eyes adjusted, came from his phone, the alarm roaring. He reached out to turn the alarm off.

 

“Ugh, I’m so tired,” he mumbled, still thick with sleep. He wanted to be under the duvet again. It wasn’t as though he had a packed schedule, but it seemed like sleeping the night away and forgetting about his job temporarily made him feel better. Rubin wished he could stay in bed longer but he had been stalling his new assignment for a few days now. He thought it was fine, since Junghoon wanted time off for Jehyun. However, after spending two days locked up in his apartment - eating, watching TV, sleeping - Rubin starting feeling some kind of anxiety over the unfinished work.

 

Just thinking about it as soon as he woke up was enough to sour his mood some. Rubin let out a long, exhausted sigh, wiggling like a worm on his double bed before sitting up straight. Waking up like this, looking around a darkened room without any sound coming from his own apartment - these were the moments when Rubin truly felt alone. He wasn’t depressed or sad or anything but he just hated being on his own ever since Jehyun moved out. It was too quiet for his liking.

 

It was of no use to ponder though, so Rubin got up from his bed to pull the curtains. The sudden amount of light which permeated the room almost made him flinch, like a vampire. It was probably a little past 10AM and he mused about what to eat. He had cereals - or did he eat them all up already? 

 

“Take a shower and go out or go out in my PJs and shower later?” Rubin said to himself out loud, finding himself staring at his empty kitchen cabinets and a less than satisfying fridge. 

 

It was then that he heard his mobile phone ringing. Remembering he’d left it on his bedside table, Rubin made a run for his bedroom and grabbed it.

 

“Hey, you’re up?” Jehyun immediately asked when he answered the call.

 

“Yeah, well, kinda.”

 

“We’ve been on a break so...wanna get back to work today?” Jehyun went straight to the point, bringing up the issue which had been dancing around in Rubin’s head as well.

 

“At your place or mine?” Rubin asked, but mentally thought that he should have offered his own place. He bet Junghoon wouldn’t be such a big fan of him coming by again and (possibly) crashing for the night.

 

It seemed as though they were interacting telepathically because Jehyun was thinking the same. He must have had some kind of ‘conversation’ with his live-in boyfriend about the frequency of Rubin’s visit.

 

“I’ll come by your place after lunch. Oh yeah, have you checked your tablet yet?”

 

Rubin’s eyes stretched widely.  He couldn’t believe in the two days he had off, he entirely  _ forgot  _ about his own drawing tablet. It was still lying in his tote bag with the cracked screen.  _ Fuck _ , Rubin thought,  _ I’m the worst. _

 

Jehyun would probably be rolling his eyes right now if he was standing in front of Rubin. He could already pick up on what went down just by Rubin’s lack of words. 

 

“Jeez, Rubin, get it repaired today! I can’t believe your forgetfulness sometimes.”

 

“Stop nagging, I will,” Rubin replied, pouting, “soon.”

 

That seemed to shut Jehyun up. His longtime friend did not speak of the broken tablet anymore, as their conversation moved on to discussing work, as usual. They were close but Rubin found that opening up to Jehyun as a friend was difficult for some reason, so he tried to stay as on the surface as possible. Maybe he was just an emotionally detached person.

 

When the call ended, Rubin focused once again at what he initially wanted to do - buy himself something to eat at the convenience store. He didn’t bother to change his clothes, not this early in the morning (for him).

 

_______

 

Rubin didn’t think he’d see me much of his neighbours at this time on a Saturday. So he casually sauntered towards the lift, shoving his wallet into the front pocket of his top pyjamas. He decided to at least wear a pair of jeans instead of the pyjamas’ pants. He didn’t look too bad right now, for a quick trip to the store.

 

Everything was routine. Pressing the down button, waiting for the lift and the stillness of the entire floor. There was barely any activities around the floor, as most were either cooped up in their homes or went out way earlier. Once the lift makes the ‘ping’ sound and the doors opened, Rubin quietly stepped inside. He swore he did not notice a single soul behind him as he quickly pressed the close doors button once he got on.

 

However, it seemed there was actually  _ someone _ who was also on their way down. Rubin heard a screeching ‘please hold the door!’ just as the door was about to close. He looked up to see his next door neighbour rushing down the hallway, and immediately pressed the open button. 

 

“Thank you,” his neighbour said as soon as he was in the lift, the doors closing behind him. He was heaving quite loudly, taking a few seconds to stabilise his breathing again. 

 

Rubin couldn’t help the dumbfounded look on his face. He felt as though each time he saw this person - Sungho - he always had a stupid expression on his face, like a fool. He wasn’t sure about what conversations to make on their short trip to the ground floor, so he could only steal a glance or two at the person. 

 

“So we meet again, Rubin,” Sungho started, and Rubin turned to look at his kind-of-a-stranger-but-also-not neighbour. Sungho was giving him a warm smile and Rubin decided he should do the same, as he found himself grinning as well.

 

“You haven’t contacted me about the tablet.” Sungho reminded him. Rubin knew he probably meant well and was sorry about the tablet, but he almost sighed at that. This was all Jehyun’s fault for bringing up his forgetfulness about the tablet earlier. Thank God he managed to catch himself though.

 

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” Rubin heard himself say, almost defensive, “I just haven’t gotten around to getting it checked...that’s all.”

 

“Right, I see.” Sungho conceded, nodding. It was only then that Rubin noticed that the working man was also in sleep attire - a plain white t-shirt and a grey sweatpants with disheveled hair. He must have woken up late like Rubin.

 

The lift arrived on the ground floor then, and they both started walking out. Rubin wondered where his neighbour was headed and of course, where his kids were. He mused that maybe Sungho’s wife, who he was yet to see, was looking after them in their apartment.

 

It seemed to Rubin that they were headed in the same direction. They were both walking out of the apartment complex and crossing the road to get to the convenience store in front of their complex. He wondered if he should make small talk since they kinda knew each other and were neighbours now but decided against it.

 

When he got to the store, Rubin made a quick, cursory view of the items there. He’d been there so often, he could mentally figure out where each items he needed were displayed and their prices. So he grabbed them all quickly and went up to the counter. He didn't see his neighbour anywhere, so he figured it would be a good idea to get back before Sungho did. That way Rubin wouldn't have to withstand another awkward lift ride to their floor. 

 

Alas, such was his fate that he was meant to meet Sungho. His older neighbour queued up behind him just as the cashier started scanning his items. Rubin now didn't try to hide his sigh. He absolutely did not enjoy being neighbours with someone he ran into by accident and having to be reminded of the awkward encounter.  

 

“That's 10,000 Won,” the sleepy-looking cashier informed Rubin. He took out his wallet to pay for it, but Sungho somehow heard this as his neighbour came up beside him. 

 

Sungho offered the 10,000 note to the cashier with a smile. “I'll pay for him… he's my neighbour.”

 

Rubin almost felt like an outsider as he watched the cashier took the money from Sungho's grasp while his neighbour gave him a comely look. He could only blink his eyes, gaping like a small child. He wasn't sure what to say, but obviously a ‘thank you’ would have been a good start. Yet those words didn’t come pouring out if his mouth.

 

Sungho didn't say anything else to Rubin, but he politely pushes Rubin out of the way to place his own shopping on the counter. Rubin decided he should offer to pay for Sungho's items as a thank you gesture, so he stood close by to see the bill. 

 

“I'll pay for him!” Rubin said, a little too loud once the cashier said the price. It even startled the boy behind the counter. 

 

“S-sure,” the cashier said, taking the money from him and doing his job. 

 

Once he got his change though, Rubin decided he didn't want to face any more of this awkward moments with his neighbour, so he walked away quickly. He didn't even want to wait for a ‘thank you'.  _ Please _ , he thought,  _ please don't catch up with me. _

 

_______

 

“Hey, Rubin!” He could hear Sungho's voice calling for him but Rubin feigned deafness. He pretended not to hear, quickening his pace to get to the zebra crossing. He hoped that the lights were green so that he could cross the moment he got there. 

 

But the lights were red when he got to the zebra crossing and the busy road in the area meant he couldn't even jaywalk for the hell of it. Rubin wanted to curse badly. Sungho got to him then, grabbing his arm and once again, Rubin was seeing his neighbour out of breath for the second time. That made him realise that he had, somehow, became the cause for Jin Sungho to run like a madman twice in the span of an hour. Rubin wasn't sure how he felt about that...and also about Sungho’s hand on his arm.

 

“Wow, you walk really quickly.” Sungho commented good-naturedly, loosening his hold on Rubin. Rubin reflexively raised his eyebrows at that, touching the spot Sungho grabbed earlier. It didn’t hurt so he didn’t know why he touched it, really. 

 

Sungho continued to stand beside him, clearly in a more cheerful mood than Rubin. Did his neighbour not see how hard he tried to avoid him? 

 

“I have work to do, so I am in a rush.” Rubin said, as if to explain why he walked insanely fast whilst telling himself that he couldn't escape this so he should make the effort for a conversation. It was not as if he’d die from small talk.

 

“I see. It's a Saturday though, don't you get the day off, or do city people work all the time?” Sungho asked, his countenance giving away his inquisitiveness. Rubin thought he was being a busybody with that question but one glance at his neighbour, Rubin could tell that it didn't come from someone who was nosy. He was genuinely asking.

 

The light turned green, and they crossed the road at the same time. The question still hung in the air so Rubin decided to answer it when they got to the other side. 

 

“I'm a freelancer. I work whenever, to be honest. But I took a break for a couple of days, so I decided to work again today.”

 

Sungho nodded. “That's nice. I work with a big company, so you know the drill. Fixed working hours. But it's been overwhelming because I've never worked at a place like that before.”

 

“A place like what?” Rubin heard himself asking, finding himself rather alright with the conversation they were having. 

 

Sungho smiled, almost like he just let out a tiny laugh. “Working in a huge office building in a big city. I'm not from Seoul, I just moved here.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Rubin clicked his fingers as they now walked into their apartment's lobby. “Where are you from then?”

 

“Wonju. I was born and raised there.” Sungho answered rather quickly, his eyes giving away that he was momentarily taken back to some memory in the past.

 

“I was born and raised here, in Seoul.” Rubin conceded with a beam. He was a city boy through and through. Even when everyone went back to their hometowns for Chuseok, he stayed in Seoul because everyone in his family lived here. He couldn't relate to any of those stories of living in villages with your grandparents. 

 

“You’re a pure city kid then.” 

 

“I guess, yeah.”

 

Sungho didn't reply to that offhand comment. They didn't say anything to each other when they got on the lift. Rubin thought he'd suffer from awkwardness if this were to happen, but on the inverse, he didn't actually feel too out of place when they quietly stood side by side in the lift. Maybe the awkwardness was just there because Rubin allowed it and they didn't get the opportunity to actually talk. 

 

That brought Rubin to the realization that he was yet to see Sungho's wife. He wondered if she was a housewife or he just never got the opportunity to see her yet. To be fair, he had only seen Sungho on their floor once. Rubin wondered when he would see Sunghos’ entire family. He seemed like a guy who would visit his neighbour for dinners, so maybe he’ll figure it out then.Still, Rubin wanted to ask and be a bit nosy. 

 

“Hey, Mr Jin Sungho,” Rubin called out, unsure of how to address his neighbour other than formally, and Sungho glanced at him with a reassuring expression, lips pursed.

 

“This might be invasive but…” Rubin blinked a few times, debating if he should ask but continued, “...I've seen your kids but where's your wife?”

 

The lift ‘ping’ indicated their arrival. Sungho gave Rubin a quick look, and he registered the slight discomfort in Sungho's demeanour. His earlier calm, cheery mask was now replaced with a more hooded expression. It wasn't hostile but it sufficed to make Rubin feel like he mistepped, as though he should not have asked that.

 

They both got off soon, and walked quietly to the end of the hallway where their units were. Clearly something heavy surrounded them. Sungho wasn't stomping away though, he still maintained a similar pace to Rubin. Now  _ this _ was uncomfortable and awkward.

 

Rubin said nothing more when he reached his unit. He was ready to punch in the passcode as fast as possible and be back in the safety of his own home. It was only then did Sungho managed to speak to him. 

 

“I don't have a wife. I'm on my own.” Sungho said, but it almost felt like a confession to Rubin's ears. He wasn't sure how to react and noticed the longing, forlorn expression in Sungho's eyes when he said that. 

 

His neighbour pressed his lips together. It was as though he wanted to say something more, and Rubin was eagerly waiting. But perhaps he decided against it, so Sungho simply tipped his head out of respect and offered his usual kind and warm smile. 

 

“I'll see you around. And call me, please, whenever you get around to fixing your tablet.”

 

“Yeah, of course!” Rubin replied, too enthusiastic for the moment and with a grin. He watched Sungho punched in his passcode and enter his unit, greeted by the voices of children.

 

For a moment, Rubin wondered what happened to the mother of those two kids that made their father a single father. He guessed it wasn't his place to ask about something so private. Perhaps they lost their mother to an illness or an accident, judging from the sad look in Sungho's eyes. 

  
  


Rubin sighed, and went into his own unit,  placing Sungho's family in the backburner. It wasn't his business anyways, to care about other people's families. He placed his shopping on the kitchen counter, glancing over at his tote bag, which remained unmoved on the sofa for the past days. His drawing tablet was in there. 

 

“I should get it fixed today.” Rubin said to himself, chewing on his lips for a second. “I’ll get it fixed with Jehyun.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ Rubin and Sungho finally talking more!!!  
> \+ mHmm more closeness coming up for the nation's favourite couple!


	5. SUNGHO III

Sungho started Monday off by sending his kids to school. He had gotten the hang of the area well enough to not leave the house at such ungodly hours just in case they got lost. Having to walk the kids to school daily, and taking the subway to work, Sungho started thinking that perhaps he should consider investing in a car. He had the license, he simply haven't drove in a long time since he decided to trade in his Cortina a few years back. 

 

Sungho rushed into the office, making his way to his own tiny cubicle among the hundreds on the floor while the thought still lingered in his head. He was just another creature on the job. He didn't see Jinwoo on his way in, and felt slightly disappointed. They work for the same company, but Jinwoo's position was different than his and his office was on the floor below. He didn't get to see his friend as often as he thought he would. 

 

"Hey, Sungho, could you check these numbers for me?" A voice put a stop to Sungho's reverie. He raised his head to see his senior, Junhyuk, handing over a file to him. His colleague really didn’t even wait for Sungho to at least settle down for a few minutes at his desk.

 

He took it from the older, sly-looking man with a smile. "Yes, sure, I'll check it and give it back to you soon, yes?"

 

"Fantastic!" Junhyuk snapped his fingers, and he looked every bit like a kkangpae in a Korean action film. "The best hire in this shit company since Jinho, is you."

 

Sungho wasn't sure what to say to what felt like a back handed compliment. He did what he always does best - smiling as genuinely as possible, replying with some expected answer. That's just work culture or office politics. You shut up, do your work and if you could hold your anger, you just put up with your seniors and bosses. Sungho knew he already had a lot on his plate without this new sales numbers Junhyuk was asking of him but he was in no position to complain. 

 

He sucked it up, and started his work. Sungho didn't need to think about anything else, he just needed to do his due. After that, he'll go back to the routine he loved most - being a father. His kids would be home soon enough, taking the school bus and staying over with the lady in the unit across theirs. He'd be home in time cook dinner and spend time with them, doing their homework together. 

  
Sungho rearranged the mess of items on his desk, making a clear space where he could start working. He took his phone out from the pocket of his pants, putting it on silent. Sungho always placed his phone at a visible spot so he would notice any incoming calls, in case of emergency, despite the fact that he silenced it. Now that he managed to clear the clutter, Sungho started working, drowning himself in it.

 

______

 

The restaurant he and Jinwoo went to for lunch was packed. It seemed that office workers appreciate the respite they could get from their tiring, bland jobs. Jinwoo turned down eating out with his friends from the same division to accompany Sungho for lunch, which he most definitely appreciate. He didn't really feel like eating with the boisterous accounting division of his either. 

 

“So, how’s your day?” Jinwoo asked, wolfing down on his bowl of ramyeon, reaching out for the mandu they ordered as a side dish soon after. Jinwoo’s eating habit hadn’t change  _ at all _ . They used to call him a ‘pig’ in jest but he would sulk, so Sungho stopped calling him that.

 

“Well,” Sungho started, eating a mandu, “it’s the usual. We’re just office people, what can possibly be  _ that _ great about our day? At most, we’ll have a bad day because of some things that went down.”

 

Jinwoo nodded, munching on his food. “I agree, let's not talk about it. Anyways, since you’re new in town, do you want to bring the kids out anywhere this weekend? I can go with you.”

 

Sungho smiled, giving the question some thought. It wasn’t a bad idea, and it wasn’t as if he had much to do anyways on weekends. He always spent it with the kids. Sungho looked again to see Jinwoo staring him down, his sweet smile plastered on his face. His friend always had an angelic look, a sweet, baby face but the way he was looking at Sungho these days, like right now - it was different from the way Jinwoo used to look at him many years ago.

 

He didn’t want to ponder on the change he was noticing in Jinwoo. His kindness wasn’t strange after all, he always had been a caring person. Sungho exhaled, pressing his lips together. He nodded, “Sure, where do you think we should go?”

 

“I was thinking maybe Han River? The temperature has been alright and-” Jinwoo’s words were cut off when Sungho’s phone started ringing.

 

He took the phone from the dining table’s surface, and registered an unfamiliar number calling him. Jinwoo seemed to take a glimpse at his screen as well from across the table. Sungho didn’t think much, answering the call and bringing the phone close to his ear.

 

“Hello,” he spoke into the receiver warmly.

 

“Hey, is this Mr Jin Sungho?” came the reply from a voice that was, somehow, oddly familiar to him. He found himself naturally grinning upon hearing Rubin’s boyish voice on the other end. 

 

“Yes, it’s him speaking now. This is Rubin, right?”

 

“Oh,” Rubin’s voice gave away his shock, as he paused momentarily, before continuing, “You recognized me?”

 

“Of course, it’s not like I spoke to many people here recently. I assume you’re calling me for what I think you’re calling me for?” Sungho conceded, raising a brow though Rubin couldn’t see him now.

 

He saw Jinwoo cocking his head to the side, a perplexed expression on his face. He knew Jinwoo was curious when his best friend stopped eating his ramyeon and dropped the mandu he was holding with his chopsticks. Sungho snickered at the sight as quietly as possible.

 

“Yeah, I got the screen fixed,” Rubin admitted followed by a laugh. “I paid it with my money, but since you did offer to pay for me...I guess you could reimburse the cost for me?”

 

“Sure, I can do that,” Sungho nodded. He really did have a habit of moving his body on the phone despite the fact that the person on the other end couldn’t see him. “How much was it?”

 

“Not a lot, just around KRW80,000.” Rubin answered, and Sungho made the necessary mental note. 

  
  
  


He wondered how he should meet Rubin in order to reimburse the money the designer spent on the repair, but since they were neighbours...well, Sungho pondered on the idea of asking Rubin to come over for dinner. They could get to know each other as neighbours, and Sungho could pay him back. It would be a nice gesture.

 

He must have been quiet for a little too long, as Rubin cleared his throat on the other end. Sungho snapped back to reality, gulping quickly and started speaking. “Rubin, since we’re neighbours, what do you think about coming over to my apartment for dinner? I can also pay you back.”

 

Rubin didn’t answer instantly, and Sungho had a mild panicky thought that he might have made it awkward for Rubin. He wasn’t a fool, he saw how his neighbour wasn’t the best at conversation back in the lift last weekend. But Sungho was the king of silver linings, so he still hoped that Rubin would take up the offer or else, he’d just drop by to slip the cash.

 

“That’s a good idea. I’m free tonight, if that’s fine.”

 

“Great, I’ll cook something for us - I mean, you and me and my kids.” Sungho corrected himself. He rarely used the word  _ us _ these days, even with his kids. They have a  _ we _ , as a family, but there was no  _ us _ . That died a long time ago. 

 

“How about around 8:30? Seems fine?”

 

“I’m cool,” Rubin answered, “so I’ll see you later?”

 

“Yes, see you soon.” 

 

They exchanged a few goodbye words and Sungho ended the call. Jinwoo was still eyeing him with curiosity. He knew what Jinwoo would ask, so Sungho spared his friend a glance. 

 

“It’s my neighbour.”

 

“I figured but,” Jinwoo made a clapping sound with the steel chopsticks, sending him a rather uncomfortable, deathly glare, “what is it I hear about some money stuff? Are you owing someone already? Just a week into moving here?”

 

Sungho let out a laugh. He shook his head while Jinwoo still maintained a serious demeanour. Although a serious face didn’t bode well with his best friend whose face was far too handsome to even look the least bit fierce. Sungho placed his chopsticks down on the table before explaining.

“I ran into him on my first day of work, and broke his tablet’s screen. Things happen, I offered to pay for his repair and found out we are neighbours. So I asked him to come over for dinner - as neighbours - and pay him however much he spent on repairing his tablet.”

 

Jinwoo seemed to be more agreeable to that situation. He visibly relaxed, leaning into his seat. “Okay, I can accept that. I just don’t want you to owe people, you know, like you used to.”

 

Sungho could see the concern and slight worry in Jinwoo’s eyes. He understood where his friend was coming from, recalling those tough times. He didn’t intend to go back to that dark place anymore. Sungho smiled reassuringly at Jinwoo, reaching his hand out to grab a mandu and place it nicely on Jinwoo’s plate.

 

“I won’t, I’m not doing that anymore. If I need anything, you know I’ll just ask you, right?”

 

“Right,” Jinwoo dipped his head slightly, “because I won’t leave you. You need a friend like me. If you need anything, you come to me first, and don't do anything without thinking.”

 

“I’ll always will,” he chuckled, “now, can we please finish our lunch before we get back to work?”

 

His best friend nodded, letting out a good-natured chuckle. They went on with their lunch while Sungho’s mind already wandered to dinner time. He was thinking about what to cook for his guest, and of course, what his kids would actually eat if he were to cook it.


	6. RUBIN III

Rubin held his drawing tablet in his grasp, smiling at the item. He had it with him for years already, never switching to other models because he felt the most comfortable with this one. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t scared when he saw the tablet drop on the concrete floor that day about a week ago. Rubin could have sworn he almost suffered a heart attack. He turned the tablet in his hand, doing a once-over at the now fixed screen.

“You’re that happy?” Jehyun asked from the driver’s seat, peering over at him. His friend half-smiled, one hand on the steering wheel. He was glad that Jehyun offered to drive him to the repair centre so he didn’t have to take the subway. Rubin wished he had a car but it seemed like too much hassle for him when he could get around with public transport. Although being in a car every now and then was a welcomed respite.

Rubin nodded, grinning at nothing in particular. “Of course, my life line is in good health now,”

“We should discuss work as soon as we get back to your place. I haven’t told you yet, but I’ve got some ideas for the design,” Jehyun stole a glance at him as the car came to a halt at a traffic light. “If you still can’t think of anything creative, we can just mix and match whatever idea we have or we can go with mine - we’ll both get the credit anyway.”

“I hate how you can guess my creative juices aren’t working.” Rubin rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance as Jehyun started to laugh.

“I’ve known you since you were twenty-one, dude. If you have any ideas, you’d call me, it doesn't matter if it’s 3PM or 3AM.” Jehyun blurted out in between his laughter, his lips carving a smile as if reminiscing days gone by. “You were so quiet, I could tell you haven’t been thinking _at all_.”

Rubin didn’t reply to Jehyun. He sat silently in the car, turning up the volume on the radio as another mainstream pop song blasted on it. It made him realise how disconnected he was from the world because he had no idea whose songs were playing on the radio, his head leaning on the window, looking out at the world around him. It almost felt as though it was just one long song playing on and on during their journey back to his apartment complex.

For a split second, Rubin thought of what Sungho said; Seoul was such a big city and it could make anyone feel small. Strange, he thought, how he failed to notice that all these years.

________

Jehyun acted like such a mom sometimes. Rubin didn’t say anything while Jehyun went off on him about how messy his apartment was and how he almost had no food supply in his kitchen. Rubin wanted to laugh at Jehyun but thought better. If he did, Jehyun would then sit him down  
for another lecture, so he simply watched Jehyun walking around his entire apartment, even gathering some small trash he found and placing them by his front door.

“Rubin, stop living like this,” Jehyun finally turned to him, sighing. “I moved out just seven months ago to live with Junghoon and this apartment is already a...landfill.”

“Don’t complain, you’re not living here anymore,” Rubin said, crossing his arms, his lips hinting at a smile. “Just...let’s sit down and do our work. I didn’t ask you to come over just for you to nag at me, peanut.”

Jehyun’s serious demeanour morphed into a much lighter one as his eyes twinkled again. He seemed to agree, his arms falling to his side. Jehyun approached Rubin’s mess of a working table in the middle of what should have been the living room.

Clasping his hands together, his best friend looked up at him with a cheery expression. “Shall we start?”

“Show me what you’ve got first, champ.”

Jehyun took out his drawing tablet and sketchbook, opening the files to show the design he came up with to Rubin. He could see that Jehyun had been working while he disappeared off the face of the Earth, seeing that his friend provided him with more than five different designs.

Rubin looked up to see Jehyun raising a brow and winking with a smug face. “What do you think?”

“You might as well have done this as a solo project.” Rubin commented, not at all malicious and smirked. “You’re better than me.”

“Don’t say that,” Jehyun conceded, sounding more serious than Rubin, “it’s just not a good time for you, so you haven’t been able to think of anything.”

“Yah, why do you sound so sad? I was joking,” Rubin grinned, reaching his hand out to mess with Jehyun’s hair. “Come, let’s go through each of your designs and see what we can do.”

________

Time passed without Rubin even realising it. He was immersed in his work with Jehyun as they kept exchanging ideas and designs. They’ve only had a few breaks, either to use the bathroom or to snack and talk before going back to their work. The promise Rubin made to his neighbour about coming over dinner completely escaped his mind. It didn’t even occur to him that he had an appointment at 8:30PM next door.

Rubin was designing a new logo, merging one of the designs Jehyun came up with and his own new ideas. He didn’t notice his phone buzzing on the surface of his work table until Jehyun called him out.

“Your phone has been ringing a few times, for fuck’s sake. Please answer it, it’s bugging me.” His friend said, although his eyes remain glued on his own drawing tablet, attempting another design.

Rubin rolled his eyes, grabbing his phone and he immediately noticed that it was his neighbour calling. Seeing Sungho’s name flash up on his phone screen was enough to trigger Rubin’s memory. He couldn’t believe he entirely forgot about the dinner tonight. “Shit, what time is it, Jehyun?”

“Uh, about 8:40PM...why?”

“I was supposed to have dinner at the apartment next door, fuck!” He got up quickly, answering Sungho’s call while running into his bedroom. He couldn’t possibly go for dinner at someone’s home wearing a white t-shirt and track pants.

“Hello, Rubin,” Sungho’s manly yet firm voice greeted him on the other end, “are you running late for dinner? Did something happen?”

“Ah no, nothing happened, it’s just - ouch!,” Rubin stubbed his toe on the feet of his bed and dropped to the floor, reaching for his toe. His phone fell just next to him and Jehyun came rushing into his room.

“Dude, what happened?” Jehyun kneeled by his side, the look of concern obvious on his face and before Rubin could even answer him, he could hear Sungho’s voice on the phone.

“Lee Rubin, are you alright?”

“Give me my phone, please, hold it to my ear,” Rubin requested, still writhing in pain and holding his toe. Jehyun did as he was told, shoving the phone a little too roughly on Rubin's ear. He glared at his best friend who merely carved a mischievous smile.

“Hey, Sungho,” he said into the phone before wincing at his informal tone to the older one. Fuck it, he thought.

“Are you alright, Rubin?” Sungho repeated his earlier question, and his tone was obviously glazed with worry and concern. “Can’t you make it to my place tonight?”

“No, no, no, it’s not like that!” Rubin shook his head vigorously though the other party couldn’t see him. “I’m home, really, I was just working and lost track of time. And now I stubbed my toe, so yeah, nothing bad happened to me.”

“That’s a relief...I thought you got hurt because I called you at a bad time and you were crossing the road, perhaps...you said you’re home though?”

“Yeah, with a friend...and I’ll still come to your apartment, just give me a few minutes. But can my friend come too?”

Sungho didn’t seem to need to think it through, answering instantly with a, “yes, sure, why not?”

Rubin said his thanks before he ended the call and nearly threw himself on the floor. Jehyun somehow went to search for his first aid kit and came back to his room with it. His friend didn’t comment as he went ahead to look at Rubin’s toe and see if it’s really alright, because Rubin  
once nearly had his toe nail opened up when he stubbed his toe.

He let out a long, tired sigh, staring up at the ceiling. “I was supposed to go to my neighbour’s for dinner. I mean, I’m still going now, and you can come along.”

“Is your neighbour new? I don’t think you had one before.” Jehyun asked, sitting cross-legged as he stared at Rubin who was still on the floor.

Rubin nodded, adding, “Actually, he’s also the guy who ran into me and damaged my drawing tablet. What a coincidence, huh?”

“Wow, that’s something,” his friend conceded, wide eyed and with a smile. Then, Jehyun stood up and held out his hand for Rubin to grab. “Let’s get ready, we shouldn’t look like this if we’re going to have dinner at someone's home." 

Rubin grabbed his best friend’s hand and Jehyun helped him stand up to full height again. Jehyun merely pointed at Rubin’s wardrobe with a slight tip of his head and left the room, closing the door behind him. He didn’t waste any more time as he barraged through his own meager collection of clothes to find something suitable to wear, trying to get ready as quick as he could.

________

The door to 504 opened and the first sight Rubin registered was Sungho, still dressed in his white dress shirt and slacks. He probably didn’t change at all since he got home. Nevertheless, he still greeted both of them with a warm smile.

“Welcome, come in.” He ushered them and Rubin made his way into the unit, taking off his slippers with Jehyun trailing behind him.

Upon entering the unit, Rubin came to the conclusion that he really was shit at looking after his own home. How was it that Sungho had the exact same unit as he did, with the same size and design, yet it looked much more presentable and well put together than Rubin’s. He couldn’t believe the place next door that he called home looked more like a stable than an actual home.

He saw the twins, Joon Ha, the girl and the boy whose name he did not know, sitting in front of the TV but they weren’t watching it. They were busying themselves with some game on the coffee table, talking to each other in whispers. Jehyun nudged his sides, and Rubin focused his  
attention at the house master again.

Sungho paced back and forth between the kitchen and the dining table, bringing forth a few dishes. “I didn’t serve them because I was afraid they’d get cold so I reheated them after we talked on the phone.”

Rubin really wasn’t quick and Jehyun made a face at him before he stepped forward towards Sungho. “Mr Jin, let me help you set the table! It’s only right to help you after making you wait!”

“No, it’s fine! Don’t worry about it.” Sungho declined politely with a smile. “I understand, so just sit down.”

“Kids, come sit at the table, we’re going to have dinner with Mr Rubin and Mr…?”

“Moon Jehyun, his name is Jehyun,” Rubin answered quickly, and Sungho continued his earlier sentence. “Yes, Mr Jehyun.”

The kids listened to their father well, obediently cleaning up whatever toys and games they were playing back into its place before taking their place at the table. The boy twin glanced at Rubin, blinking a few times before he opened his mouth, “Uncle, are you our neighbour?”

_Uncle? Jeez, this kid._

“Yeah, I live next door,” Rubin answered, nodding, “but I’m not that old. Don’t call me uncle. Just Rubin hyung should be fine...what’s your name?”

“I’m Joon Seok! This is my younger sister and twin, Joon Ha!” Joon Seok replied, ecstatic while his female counterpart eagerly smiled at them.

“Is Joon Seok a good older brother, Joon Ha?”

“He tries, but he nags a lot! Like a middle aged woman!” Joon Ha answered with an over the top facial expression, making both Rubin and Jehyun laugh while her twin scowled at her.

“I’m only eight years old, Joon Ha!”

Sungho joined the table soon enough and that made the table quiet as they finally sat down for dinner. Sungho had made kimchi stew, braised beef and what seemed like homemade side dishes such as radish kimchi and anchovies. Rubin noticed how well behaved Sungho’s children were at the table. No messy eating or being picky with food. They ate well and with proper manners.

“Your children are well behaved, Sungho - if I can call you that.” Rubin complimented, and he saw how happy Sungho looked upon hearing those words.

“Yeah, you can just speak to me casually, even if I’m older than you - I’m thirty years old. We’re neighbours after all. Thank you for saying so as well, I try my best to raise my children.”

“Thirty?” Jehyun interjected, the shock evident on his face. To be fair, Rubin was rather surprised too, although he did expect it just from seeing Sungho’s face. “How old were you when had them?"

"Jehyun!"

“No, it’s okay,” Sungho reassured, his eyes going between Rubin and Jehyun, “people ask me all the time, it’s not offensive.”

Joon Ha giggled then, and said, “Dad said he had us when he was twenty-two and he was still a student!”

“That’s right! You remember my stories well, princess.” Sungho patted his daughter’s head, doting on her as he took a piece of braised beef and placed it in her bowl. “Eat well and be smart.”

“Thank you, dad!” She looked at her father, her eyes shining. How good of a father must someone be for your child to look at you like you were the one who created the world for them, Rubin thought. But he couldn’t even mull on the thought for too long because the other twin feigned upset.

“Dad, how could you give Joon Ha a piece and none for me?” Joon Seok pouted, staring at his dad, needy.

Sungho didn’t miss a beat, picking up another piece of beef and extending his arm to place it in Joon Seok’s bowl. “Alright, alright, here’s one for you too, for being such an easy child for dad to take care of.”

The older twin broke into a smile, saying his thanks as he ate the beef with his rice. Rubin found himself smiling throughout the whole interaction. It reminded him of his own family, to a time when his father still looked at him with love. He missed the warmth and the sense of belonging that a family could give to someone.

“So, were you both busy today?” Sungho shifted the topic of conversation, giving them his attention now.

Jehyun, always great with people, smiled, his entire face lighting up. “Yes, Rubin and I are working together on a project. We decided to do our work at his apartment. It’s why we got soaked up in our work until Rubin didn’t notice the time.”

“What are you guys working on?”

“Logo designs for a new product, some sort of yoghurt drink,” Rubin conceded, and Sungho seemed rather interested. He really wasn’t asking it just to make small talk, at least he didn’t come off that way to Rubin. 

“That’s cool. I wouldn’t be able to do something like that. I’m not very creative.”

“Ah, we all have our place in the world,” Rubin spoke reassuringly, “what do you do, Sungho?”

“I’m an accountant. I count the sales and profits, that kind of stuff, for a car company.” Sungho answered, his expression clearly showing that he didn’t think what he did for a living was all that amazing. “Someone got me that job, and I really do need it for my family.”

They spent their time making small talk about their jobs and daily life, finishing the food served. The kids finished theirs first and Sungho allowed them to go into their room and play there. Everything seemed to go smoothly, with Sungho eager to know more about the places he could go and things he could do in Seoul with his kids. It was rather fascinating, to see someone so dedicated to their kids. Rubin never met someone like that before.

“Mr Jin, can I ask you something?” Jehyun said, as they cleaned up the table. Rubin looked over at his friend, wondering what he’d ask.

Sungho was placing the dishes into the dishwasher. He was his usual self, as he nodded and gave Jehyun an expression that encouraged the latter to go ahead with his question.

Jehyun seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, before he opened his mouth. Somehow, Rubin could foresee his best friend mistepping and asking what he shouldn’t. He couldn’t stop Jehyun fast enough though, as the question already escaped Jehyun’s lips.

“Where’s the kids’ mother?”

Rubin noticed the change in Sungho’s demeanour - the way his entire expression and vibe took a turn just like in that lift last week. His body was clearly rigid, almost as though that question was enough to get his entire body to go tense.

Rubin decided to get up and kick Jehyun’s shin right  
then, mouthing a ‘what the fuck’ at him. Jehyun simply widened his eyes, mouthing back a ‘I didn’t know, okay?’.

Sungho was quiet, but he was clearly trying to compose himself. His earlier tensed up body looked to relax a little as he glanced over at them.

“Rubin already knows but I guess he didn’t tell you. I’m a divorcee and the children’s mother hasn’t been back since we divorced, for reasons I can’t tell you.” Sungho forced a smile, his lips curving upwards reluctantly. “The kids don’t know the real reason yet so I just told them their  
mother is going on a long holiday and she will be back after a long time.”

“I’m sorry for my friend’s rudeness, you really didn’t need to answer that,” Rubin apologized, bowing, “it’s your private life.”

Sungho didn’t answer but he is expressions made it clear to Rubin that he didn’t take too much offense. He rested his hand on both of Rubin’s shoulders, squeezing it. “It was very nice to have you and your friend over today. I needed some friends around here.”

Then, Sungho dropped his hands from Rubin’s shoulder, leaving an empty feeling there once again. He watched the older man reached into his back pocket for his wallet. Rubin almost forgot about asking for his reimbursement.

“Here, I’m paying you back for the costs of fixing your drawing tablet,” His neighbour handed the money to him, placing it in the palm of his hand and closing it. “I paid my dues.”

“Thank you, Sungho, for being really nice about it,” Rubin replied, locking eyes with the man for the first time. He noticed the way Sungho’s eyes always seemed to radiate kindness and a sense of family but also how they also looked a little sad, like someone who was longing for something. Still, he said nothing and politely bowed.

“Thanks for the meal as well, I hope we see each other often around the apartment complex.”

“Sure, I hope we can eat together again, like this. I like it a lot.”

The conversation had been circling around Rubin and Sungho, it must have made Jehyun feel ignored as his friend made a sound by clearing his throat. “It’s getting late, and Sungho here probably needs to rest so let’s go back, Rubin.”

There was a lingering feeling, somehow, one that Rubin could not explain. But he didn’t put much thought into it, agreeing with Jehyun as they both bid their goodbyes and left the apartment, walking just a few paces back to his place.  
_______

“Your neighbour would have been a perfect catch if he wasn’t a single father with two kids,” Jehyun commented as soon as he plopped himself on the living room’s sofa.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, he has the looks, the career, the home - he’s a stable person for any women _and_ men to date. Ivd even say you should seduce him but too bad,  he’s got extra baggage.”

Rubin raised a brow, settling next to Jehyun. He didn't reply, thinking over what Jehyun just said and perhaps he did agree. Sungho was a rather handsome person, but Rubin personally wouldn’t think the kids were ‘extra baggage’.

“That’s not a nice thing to say, it’s his kids. Anyway, he doesn’t look like he’d be interested in dating anyone.” Rubin finally said, before giving Jehyun a side-eye. “Why’d you even think of that, dumb fuck, you have a boyfriend!”

“Thoughts! I just thought of it as I enter your paradise, you unhygienic clown.” Jehyun brought his face close to Rubin, sticking his tongue out.

“Anyway, I need to go, Junghoon is spamming my Kakao Talk,” His best friend got up, packingup his items. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the cafe near that office. We need to finalize the design before we mee the representatives.”

“Yeah, okay, see ya,” Rubin said, lying down on the sofa. He didn’t see Jehyun off as the other man left the unit, the clicking sound denoting that the door was closed.

Rubin raised his left foot up, looking at his toe that no longer felt numb. He threw his leg back onto the sofa, looking over at the wall of his unit. He somehow like his neighbour, in a friendly way and that feeling - that warm feeling of a family and hot, fulfilling food, laughter at the table and children footsteps. There was so much love in 504, and if only Rubin could have just a taste of it.

It was a feeling he hadn’t known in a long time since he left home and being able to feel that again at Sungho’s place, even for just an hour, made Rubin happy. A tiny bit of happiness, at least.

He wondered what the family on the other side was doing now, after the guests have left. Sometimes, you find happiness in the most unlikely places, he thought, smiling at the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, i got busy hmgh also my twt got locked fjfjd so you can follow me at @sunghosnose instead.


	7. SUNGHO IV

The kids have after school activities today, so Sungho made the decision to pick them up from school himself, since it would coincide with the time he got off from work. He still had a few more hours left at the office before he could leave. Sungho sifted through the papers on his desk, rechecking the printed files’ information to see if it matched the one registered in the company’s database. He needed to recheck them properly to avoid any possible mistakes with the numbers. Working with money and numbers really was no easy feat.

 

Sungho slumped into his chair, busying himself with work. Back when he worked in a small office with barely anything to do, he used to find it boring, as though his job lacked productivity and he had too much time to spare. Yet now that he was swamped with work, piles of documents on his desk every morning, refusing to reduce even after evening arrived, he realised how suffocating it was. It was no wonder that office workers in Seoul appreciate being able to get out of their buildings during lunch hour, to stretch their legs and inhale the outside air rather than feeling as though they were being kept captive within these cubicles. Sungho sighed as he leaned forward on his desk, taking up another document among the stack on his right-hand side. 

 

He passed the hours just like that, exchanging pleasantries when someone came up to him and then returning to his task at hand. When it was time to get off work, Sungho packed up. He wanted to be at the school gate quickly and treat the twins to some Korean beef before they go back to their apartment. Sungho was on his way to the lift lobby when he caught sight of Jinwoo standing by the door to his office, still in his suit but he already loosened his tie.

 

“Hey, friend, let me drive you back.” Jinwoo said with a smile as he gestured for Sungho to get a move on. “You told me you’re picking up the kids today, so I thought why not I drive you and them home, and we can get dinner together.”

 

“That sounds good. How’d you know anyway?” Sungho asked, because he didn’t recall telling Jinwoo that he planned to fetch his kids today. He saw the way Jinwoo smiled surreptitiously, and there was a twinkle in his eyes. Sungho wasn’t giving up on it though, still sending Jinwoo inquisitive stares as they wait for the lift among the crowd of other office workers.

 

“Jeez, you won’t let it drop, will you?” Jinwoo finally caves in, turning to look at Sungho with a grin. “Okay, okay, a little birdie told me.”

 

“Who?”

“I’m not saying. And why are you so afraid of me knowing? I’m not a stranger, you know I have no ill intentions when I help you out.”

 

They were moving into the lift now, pushing and adjusting their bodies to fit into the square-shaped lift. The day at work ended and trapped in this lift all the way until the ground floor, Sungho could not stand the stench of the people sharing the space with him. Of course, he wasn’t innocent either, but when you have all these people smelling like their office and whatever else within the same space as you for a whole thirty-two floor ride down - it could be rather stifling and even his breath felt heavy.

 

However, in that sardine can packed situation within the lift, backed up against the lift wall, Sungho could feel Jinwoo’s hand brushing against his ever so faintly. He slowly looked down to see that JInwoo’s hand is within his grasp and they’d been standing too close to each other, not that it would have been strange as they were close friends. Sungho watched then, as Jinwoo’s fingers move, he entwines his pinky finger with Sungho’s own, the coldness of his finger sending a jolt throughout Sungho’s body, a contrast to his own warm, calloused finger. 

 

Sungho looked up to see Jinwoo staring straight at him now. His friend didn’t say a single word. He merely offered a kind expression, those lips turning up into a smile, graceful and handsome as he always was yet at the same time Sungho noticed this glint in his eyes. He saw that light and emotion in those eyes - a mixture of joy, longing and something similar to love -  the night he told Jinwoo he was engaged to Hyejin, and he’d seen it before when he walked out of the family court in Wonju, newly divorced and Jinwoo was waiting for him outside, more than ready to be with him through all his future obstacles. 

 

Sungho tore his gaze away, trying to shake off the surge of memories crawling into his mind in that instant. Without alarming his friend, he untangled their pinkies and when the ‘ping’ of the lift signalled their arrival at the building’s lobby, Sungho didn’t know why he hastily stepped out first, leaving Jinwoo behind among the cluster of other office workers. It somehow unnerved him, that touch and the memories he’d suddenly think about in that moment.

  
  
Sungho knew more than anyone else, that he and Jinwoo were insanely close. They shared everything together since they were barely a year old. Just like them, Jinwoo and Sungho’s mother were best friends to this day and it was only natural for their sons to take after them as well. Sungho saw Jinwoo more often than he did his other friends and he felt a genuine sense of loss when Jinwoo had to part ways with him a few years back. Maybe, some people would even say that they were each other's half because they needed each other that badly. This too meant that Sungho had always noticed that in some ways, Jinwoo loved him and in a different way from how Sungho loved him. And he didn’t think he’d ever be sure about how he’ll have to face that fact if Jinwoo ever decided to talk about it, so he opted to ignore it every time, an elephant both of them pretended not to see.

 

Jinwoo caught up with Sungho while he stood by the building’s entrance. He was still deep in his thoughts but snapped out of it when Jinwoo’s hand clamped down on his shoulder. Sungho puts on his genial, friendly face and it wasn’t as if he was faking it. He simply had one of those random episodes in which his past came up to him, and suddenly, he became more perceptive, noticing every little thing he wouldn’t have, just minutes earlier. When those episodes happen, he’d prefer it if other people didn’t take note of them and he’d deal with it on his own, especially not Jinwoo who seemed to always be able to sense and pick up on his mood.

 

“Why are you in so much rush?” Jinwoo laughed, his pretty smile never wearing off his lips, his brows raised. “I’m not going to kidnap you and the twins, you know.”

 

Sungho bursted into a cheery laugh, tapping Jinwoo’s chest softly. “Of course not. I felt claustrophobic in the lift is all.”

 

He saw Jinwoo nodding, yet his eyes conveyed something else entirely. Jinwoo didn’t trust what came out of his mouth but he said nothing about it. Instead, his friend merely settled his hand on Sungho’s back, ushering him to walk ahead to the open parking lot where his car was. Jinwoo reverted to his usual, casual self and asked typical questions as he unlocked the car. “Do you think the kids would prefer pasta or fried chicken?”

 

______

  
  
“Uncle Jinu, when will you show us something funny? Weren’t you a clown?” Joon Ha asked, sinking her teeth into her soy and garlic chicken wing. Their plans for Korean beef has been thrown out the window when their Uncle Jinu suggested a fried chicken joint. Sungho saw the way Jinwoo almost spit his diet Coke and stifled a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand.

 

“N-no, ah, I mean,” Jinwoo nervously scratched his head, forcing a smile. “I’m a bit rusty so I don’t know how to make good jokes anymore.”

 

Jinwoo kicked Sungho’s feet under the table, as if they were teenagers, not thirty year old men, and he offered his best friend a mischievous glance. He could tell that Jinwoo was begging him to tell the kids the truth that he was no gag man, but it sure did amuse Sungho to see Jinwoo’s over the top reaction every time he heard the word ‘clown’ come out of the kids’ mouths. Jinwoo rolled his eyes when Sungho didn’t say anything in his defense and instead told the kids, “Give Uncle Jinu some time. He needs to warm up before he tells you something funny.”

 

“Do you need to warm up before a joke, like you warm up before an exercise?” Joon Seok questioned Sungho, his two hands outstretched as if he was comparing the two in the palm of his hands, a perplexed expression on his demeanour.

 

Jinwoo interjected right then, diet Coke still in his grasp, “Of course! We need to make sure we’re funny to ourselves first before we let other people hear it!”

 

“That’s weird.”

 

“No, it isn’t! You just don’t know how real clown works, Joon Seok. Trust me, I’m a clown.”

 

Sungho choked back his laugh, taking a quick bite of his chicken. He need not turn his head to feel Jinwoo’s icy glare on him. Joon Ha and Joon Seok, completely unaware that their father had thrown his best friend under the bus, grinned as they chattered among themselves about whether their Uncle Jinu was a true clown with actual funny bones in him.

 

“You’re gonna have to explain to them that I’m  _ definitely _ not funny,” Jinwoo whispered close to his ears, leaning by his side. “They’re actually believing you, what kind of father lies to their kids?”

 

Sungho shrugged, offering a drum stick to Jinwoo with a smirk. His best friend looked annoyed but still took the drum stick from him gratefully.

 

_______

 

Jinwoo dropped them off and Sungho convinced him there was no need for him to send them up until the apartment’s door. So he settled with Jinwoo watching him and his kids until they got in the lift before driving away. Once they got to their front door, Sungho punched in their password and ushered the children in first. It was then that the door to Rubin’s apartment opened, and he saw the young man step out.

 

“Oh, hello,” Rubin greeted, offering a ghost of a smile. Sungho noticed the thin shirt underneath his oversized cardigan and those ugly, striped sweatpants and slippers. He seemed visibly tired. “You just got home?”

 

“Yeah, we went out for dinner. What about you?”

 

“Just work. Think I need some fresh air though, it gets stuffy indoors and too quiet when you live alone,” Rubin says, casting his gaze downwards with a thoughtful expression. He closes the door behind him quietly before glancing at Sungho again, leaning into his own front door.

 

“Good night, I guess. You must have work in the morning.”

 

“I do...but,” Sungho poked his head into his unit to see where the twins were and noticed they must have gone to their room as they were nowhere to be seen in the living room. “...have you eaten anything this evening?”

 

“What?” Rubin blurted, eyes wide as saucers, as if Sungho had said the strangest thing to him. “Sorry, I mean, no, I haven't. Why?”

 

“That’s not good. Do you want to come in and hang out at our balcony, have snacks maybe to fill your stomach? I can make snacks, and the kids are going to bed soon...if you want to, of course, I’m just saying it as a man to man thing.”

  
  
_ Man to man _ , Sungho sneered at himself in his head, he sounded like a full fledged father. That, and the truth, which was that he didn’t want to call it a night yet, didn’t want to eat his chips and beer alone watching movies on TV. He simply needed somebody to accompany him. Sungho knew he could have asked Jinwoo, but he occupied enough of his best friend’s time already and Rubin popped up at just the right time.

  
  


Rubin seemed to shift his weight from one side to the other, as if unsure if he should take up on the offer. Perhaps he wondered if Sungho was asking out of courtesy or actually meant his words. Sungho watched as the gears seemed to move in Rubin’s head, the young man touching his own nape and clamping down on his lips. It took at least a minute before an answer came from his neighbour.

 

“I think I can spare some time with you.” Rubin’s lips inched upwards into a smile, and Sungho’s observant nature had him realising that this was the first time he’d ever seen Rubin smile so sweetly. Oftentimes, the young man’s smiles seemed forced, lips that carved itself into a grin for the sake of pleasantry and not genuine happiness. Sungho leans his head to the side slightly, and wordlessly gestured for Rubin to come over.

 

“What would you like to have for snacks?” He asked once they took off their slippers and shoes, stepping into the unit. Rubin shrugs, a little awkward, carefully stepping into the home. “Anything is fine by me. Where’s the kids?”

 

Sungho’s hand went up to his forehead. “Ah, right. I need to check on them. Why don’t you sit down and make yourself at home first? I’ll be back once I’m done with the kids.”

 

“Dad, where’s my watercolour kit?” Joon Ha came running up to him, grabbing Sungho’s hand. “I can’t find it!”

 

Squatting down to meet his daughter’s eyes, Sungho pinched her full cheeks. “Look with your eyes, not your nose. It’s there, let me find it for you.”

 

“Oh, Uncle Rubin!” Joon Ha exclaimed, pointing at their neighbour who had settled on their living room’s sofa. Sungho naturally followed his daughter’s finger as they pointed at Rubin. He saw the startled look on Rubin’s face, and he almost wanted to chuckle at how out of place Rubin felt with the children but held himself back.

 

  
Instead, Sungho lowered his daughter’s arms, quietly reprimanding her about pointing at people directly. “I told you many times, it’s rude to do that, Joon Ha. It’s not nice.”

 

“Sorry, Dad.” She pouted, peering up at her father with a hurt look, before Sungho pulled his daughter into a hug, softly patting her back to reassure her that he wasn’t mad.

 

“Anyway, he’s still young. Don’t call him Uncle Rubin. Just...call him Rubin oppa. Joon Seok can call him Rubin hyung.”

 

“Okay, Rubin oppa!” Joon Ha excitedly giggled, waving at Rubin who waved back, kinder than he looked earlier. His daughter then turned to him, crossing her arms over her chest, “So, will you come look for my watercolour kit now, Dad?”

 

Sungho nodded, and without missing a beat, he carried his daughter back to the shared bathroom with Joon Seok. He could feel Joon Ha’s tiny arms holding on to his neck tightly, burying her face into his chest while she chattered on. Sungho turned around for one last look at Rubin, and saw that his neighbour was reading a magazine he grabbed from the coffee table. Something about Rubin’s youthfulness and the blundering way he had been reacting to the twins reminded him of himself when he was still a young father, clumsy and ignorant. There was a part of him that he saw in Rubin, and that somehow assured him, like a gentle pat on the back. 

 


	8. RUBIN IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ++ YAY! I finally found the time and here's an update! I'm working on posting chapters while I'm on break so please give me lots of support to pull through whew!!  
> ++ If you love it, do let me know <3 I hope I'm not rusty hnghhh  
> ++ follow me on twt @sunghosnose!

Rubin watched Sungho attend to his daughter, Joon Ha, as they disappeared into the narrow hallway towards the bedrooms. Though he couldn’t see Sungho and his daughter, Rubin could still hear, crystal clear, their voices. The sing-song way in which Sungho was speaking to his daughter and the girl’s tiny, shrill voice answering back to her father. Rubin doesn’t even realize how easily a smile forms on his lips, just imagining in his head how Sungho was going about attending to his daughter’s prattling. That’s family right there, and it’s comfortable. Even in his awkwardness while sitting on the sofa, Rubin somehow found comfort in this foreign place. \

 

Somehow, stepping into the Jin household had only served to remind Rubin of a life he could only remember fondly. A moment in time trapped within a beautifully engraved glass box, never to be touched or experienced again, growing sweeter only in his mind. There was a time, he recalled, when his own father had loved him like this and his own mother had wanted him home. Now, there was no place for Lee Rubin in the family anymore. 

 

The thought used to saddened him but over the years, he figured he had come to accept his fate - that he was the son who disappointed his parents in more ways than one, and him opting for a different career path was simply the last straw. Rubin closed his eyes then, pressing the heels of his hands on his eyes, completely detaching himself from the situation. These were thoughts he did not think often because they interrupted his happiness yet they’ve become more common since Sungho moved next door. Rubin was brought back to reality when he sensed a tender touch on his shoulder, and he raised his head to see Sungho staring down at him.

 

“Are you okay? ” The older male asked, his demeanour clearly  concerned, and when Ruin wasn’t able to answer soon enough, Sungho added, “I suppose work takes a toll on you but I hope you don’t think too much about it when you’re here. Tell you what, I’ll make you a proper meal, yeah?”

 

Still, Rubin was rendered speechless, yet Sungho didn’t seem to want to force a reply out of him. His next door neighbour loosens his grip on Rubin’s shoulder, taking a step back, he offered Rubin his kindest smile. Rubin carefully observes Sungho, his composed and easygoing manner while he goes about preparing the meal in the kitchen. From afar, he looked like a parent who finally had time off after a rigorous day, but at the same time, Rubin also seemed to think that Jin Sungho was like someone just around his age, making a midnight meal while watching television. It was strange, how someone could be one thing and the other at the same time.

 

He was tired as hell, today was exhausting. He and Jehyun had finally managed to create something and finalized it before they go about to meet the representatives tomorrow. Honest to God, he’d skipped so much meals and survived off energy drinks and junk foods. Whenever he was on this kind of ‘work marathon’, Rubin must admit he forgot what a warm meal smell and taste like. So when Rubin got off the sofa and calmly walked towards the kitchen, and seeing Sungho actually preparing a proper meal for him even at this late hour, he didn’t know what to feel. It had been a long time since someone cared enough to do this for him. Not even Rubin himself cared enough to fix himself a good meal, so the fact that someone he’d just met was treating him this well, Rubin a sense of awe at the selflessness. He didn’t even know what to say, really, but Rubin blurted out, “Thank you, Sungho.”

 

Sungho, who was stirring the kimchi fried rice, looked over his shoulder. There was a genuine expression of surprise, perhaps he didn’t realize when Rubin came up to him but that quickly dissipated. He smiled, and shook his head, “It’s no bother. You seemed really tired, so I thought maybe a warm meal is better than a snack.”

 

“You didn’t have to, you know.” Rubin replied, shifting his weight and approaching the kitchen’s counter. “I can just buy some stuff from the convenience store.”

 

“Convenience store food isn’t going to make you feel better. Besides, it’s not difficult to make when you cook often,” Sungho conceded with a smile, and Rubin could easily feel the honesty in that smile. It made him carve a smile as well.

 

“Thanks a lot, even though I’m just your neighbour.”

 

Sungho shook his head, letting out a tiny laughter. “You’re not just a neighbour, I consider you a friend. I don’t know if you think so too, but I hope you do.”

 

“I do.” Rubin answered, and he meant it. Those words weren’t a perfunctory reply to appease Sungho. He was sure that this moment was the moment he decided that Sungho was a friend.

 

Sungho turned off the stove right then, scooping the fried rice onto a plate.  He handed over the plate to Rubin, and motioned with his fingers that the cutlery was in the drawer behind him.Wordlessly, Rubin took the food and went ahead to seat himself at the table.. He took another look at the older man, now cleaning up the kitchen, and realized that he might just be fond of him, simply due to his sheer kindness. 

 

______

 

“Is it good?” Sungho asked from across the table, reading a book while Rubin hungrily wolfed down on the meal. He didn’t say a word but simply nodded his head, taking another spoonful of the kimchi stew in his mouth. Sungho didn’t seem like much of a talker during meals and Rubin guessed it didn’t matter. He was too hungry to speak anyway. Sungho’s eyes were trained on him every now and then, but not in a menacing, intimidating way. Rather, it was warm and friendly, the way you’d look over at someone you cared about to make sure they were eating well. Rubin could clearly observe Sungho pursing his lips, before the sides etched up into a ghost of a smile. Then, his neighbour returned to the book he was reading.

 

Rubin wasn’t great at small talk, of course, he was friendly but only when there was a proper subject at hand. He knew he needed to say something though. Friends talk while eating, after all. He placed his rice bowl down politely and attempted small talk. “How was your day, Sungho?”

 

“I think it was good,” Sungho answered, lifting his eyes from the book, “I mean, it’s routine but I do like the comfort of my routine, so it’s good. What about you?”

 

“Same old, same old,” Rubin grinned, his eyes looking down at the rice bowl, realizing that small talks weren’t his biggest strength. “It’s just...overwhelming today, that’s all.  I think that’s obvious for you, eh? But it’ll pass.”

 

“I see. You should have someone who can check on you when you get busy, then. Haven’t you got a girlfriend? A guy your age usually would have one.” Sungho changed the subject, and Rubin could see Sungho closing his book as he took an interest in the conversation. Rubin’s answer was a simple shake of the head, adding, “I’m not really sure about having anyone right now, I mean, I’m young. There’s still time, you know? I don’t really have parents that pressure me into it either, so it’s just work and me time. If there’s someone, well, that’ll be great.”

 

“You’re right, you’ve got plenty of time. You really should enjoy your youth while you’re at that age, before you get yourself involved in serious responsibilities, like marriage, fatherhood, retirement - that kind of stuff.” Sungho replied with a smile, smoothing the front of his t-shirt. “Trust me, I’ve gone through that phase.”

  
  


Hearing Sungho speak like that made him seem older than thirty, to be honest. However, Sungho did live a rather offbeat life compared to most people and so his experiences were vastly different. Maybe that made him wiser.

 

 Rubin found that he was somehow curious as to the reason why Sungho opted to marry at such a tender age. It was both amazing and terrifying that by the age of thirty, a person could have been able to bear the weight of a single father in a modern world - a world that at times could be unkind to single parents, perhaps even judgemental of them. If it was him, perhaps he would have given up much earlier. Rubin wondered if it was his place to ask something so personal, after the kindness displayed by Sungho but decided to, anyway.

 

“Sungho, can I just ask something, if you don’t mind.” Rubin said, peering over carefully to gauge his neighbour’s reaction. Perhaps curiosity is no stranger to Sungho as he answered people’s questions about his life and his children over the years. The older man remained calm, offered a warm smile and gave a nod of approval.

 

“Well, it’s just, I wondered,” Rubin started, sighing, “why did you get married at such a young age?”

 

Once the cat was out of the bag, Rubin could feel, just like in the lift, how the question hung in the air. Sungho didn’t seem taken aback, but Rubin scrutinized the way Sungho’s eyes seem to take him back to a distant place, to a point in his life that maybe he didn’t think of fondly. Nonetheless, there was no heavy handed, angry response from Sungho.

 

Instead, Sungho let out a tired sigh. His eyes met Rubin’s, and he answered simply: “It was love that made me think the kid’s mother was the one I’d spent the rest of my life with. I was naive to think that love would be enough to sustain a marriage.”

 

“I’m sorry I asked.” Rubin immediately regretted asking, biting his lips.

 

“It’s okay, it’s fine. I can talk about it,” Sungho answered monotonously, “Sometimes love isn’t kind, but you need to be okay with that.” 

 

This time, Rubin could see that Sungho was obviously sad. He simply tried to mask it. Something had Rubin thinking that the marriage and divorce was difficult for this man, yet he was trying his best to appear unaffected by it. Rubin didn’t pry further.

 

“Hey, uh, if you’re done, you can put the dishes in the sink. Then, come watch TV. I have a movie I’ve always wanted to watch. You’re up for it?” Sungho diverted their conversation, pushing his chair back, and forcing his usual friendly demeanour. Rubin nodded wordlessly, watching the other male walking past him to the living room. He simply stared at Sungho for a few minutes, indulging in scrutinizing the other person without any intention in particular. Then, he got up to clean his plates, despite Sungho telling him that it wasn’t necessary, and went ahead to sit next to Sungho on the sofa.

 

That night, as they watched an action movie Sungho had always wanted to see, Rubin learned a few things about Sungho. That Jin Sungho was a warm person who would cook a meal in the dead of night for someone or anyone for that matter, that he was talkative when he’s watching something he liked and that there was a heaviness about him. But that heaviness does not make him unhappy, it just made him somewhat lonely. Just like how Rubin was as well. Sometimes. 

**Author's Note:**

> ++ if you're interested, you can follow me on twt @prince_sungho !!


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